Vengeful Love
by Rei-chan689
Summary: Team Seven receives a new member and chaos ensues as she struggles against evil foes alongside her teammates. New bonds are made and then broken. Read to find out how Sasuke reaches the brink of insanity. And he thought Naruto was bad...SasOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello people! Here is yet another story from yours truly. This one was suggested by my friend, but it was supported by Lycan180. Like always it features my OC Rei. In case someone didn't read my other stories all of my stories have Rei in them. Anyways, hope you guys like it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I get the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don' own anything but my OC.**

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**Chapter One**

Team 7 was summoned by the Hokage. They were in his office waiting for him to tell them why they were there.

"Today a young shinobi has arrived from the Village Hidden In The Mist and I will place the child in your team. I hope that you will welcome your new partner as they will remain in your team permanently."

They were all surprised to hear that they would be getting someone else in their team and even more surprised at hearing that they came from the Hidden Mist Village. Kakashi stepped forward.

"Hokage-sama, why has a shinobi from the Hidden Mist Village come here?"

"It is a complicated matter, but the new Gennin was originally from Konoha. I will tell you the details of her arrival later Kakashi. For now I think you should all meet her."

The door opened and a young girl with short blond hair that reached her shoulders and blue eyes stepped in. She was thin, but looked to be healthy. She was wearing a pair of black trousers that reached halfway to her calves and a white shirt with black trimming and a black sash (like Tsunade's shirt). She had a headband from the Hidden Mist Village. She stepped in without looking at the others. She looked nervous.

"This is Rei Hatori and she will be joining your team. I think that she will be a good addition to your team. I expect you to treat her kindly and help her around the village. Remember that she is new here and so you will need to help her until she gets used to things. Now, you children can leave. I believe Kakashi has some things he wants to discuss."

* * *

Naruto, Sasuke, Rei, and Sakura left. They went outside. Sasuke looked at the girl that was his new teammate. She looked weak to him. He hoped she wasn't as weak as Sakura and he really hoped she wasn't as obsessed with him as Sakura. He shuddered a bit as he thought of his fangirls.

'_God, please don't let her be crazy.' _He thought.

Sakura looked at Rei and was glad to have another girl in his team. Sometimes it was annoying to have to put up with the guys' constant fights. She looked at her and saw that she was really pretty. She looked nice, but she also looked a bit nervous. Could it be that being around someone as good looking as Sasuke made her nervous? What if she liked Sasuke too?

'_I won't let her steal my Sasuke-kun!"_

Naruto looked at the new girl and immediately noticed how pretty she was.

'_Wow, she might be even prettier than Sakura-chan!'_ He thought as he stared at her.

Then Naruto had an idea. They were supposed to show her around the village and welcome her so he would take her to the best place in town.

"Hey, you guys, why don't we take Rei-chan to Icharaku ramen. I bet she'll like it!"

"That's a good idea. Come on Rei-chan, you must be hungry after traveling from such a far place." Sakura said grabbing Rei's arm.

They headed to the ramen shop with Naruto leading the way, Sakura dragging Rei along and Sasuke in the back pretending he didn't know the other idiots. As they walked he looked at the new girl. There was something about her that was strange. It was like she was hiding something. He dismissed the thought as being absurd.

* * *

"Hokage-sama, what is the real reason that she is here? Why couldn't she stay in the Hidden Mist Village?"

"Kakashi, the girl has had a very troubling past. You see, her father was from our village, but her mother was a shinobi from the Hidden Mist. During a mission her father met her mother and they got married. They lived in our village for a while, but when she was five they left to the Hidden Mist Village. She trained there and became a Gennin, but a month ago her parents were killed. She barely escaped with her life. Perhaps the only reason that she is still alive is because of her special abilities."

"Special abilities?"

"Yes, she inherited the Kekkei Genkai from her father. Doesn't the name Hatori sound familiar to you?"

Kakashi thought about it and gasped once he remembered.

"You mean…she's…"

"Yes, she has _that_ power. That is why she is so important. She is the last of her clan and so she must grow up to be strong. That is why I have put you in charge of her. I know that you can help her get stronger, besides, you already have a student in the same situation. I think that she will get along well with Sasuke."

"I hope you're right." Kakashi sighed.

This would be harder than he thought.

* * *

Back at the ramen shop Sakura and Naruto were interrogating Rei and trying to find out who she was.

"So, how long did you stay in the Hidden Mist Village?"

"About seven years."

"So you know how to do jutsus from the Hidden Mist and Konoha?" Asked Naruto.

"Yeah."

"Where are you going to stay?"

"I'll stay at my father's house."

"Why did you leave Konoha?"

"My mother was from Kirigakure and my father was from Konoha."

"Where are your parents?" Sakura said.

Rei paused and looked down at her ramen. Sasuke looked at her puzzled at her reaction.

"They died." She said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" Sakura said.

"It's okay. You didn't know. I should get home, I have to arrange my things. I'm looking forward to working with you." She left.

Sasuke looked at her departing form and frowned. So she was alone like him. Maybe things wouldn't be as bad as he thought. Maybe she wouldn't be a rabid fangirl.

_**End Chapter One**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and sorry if it's short. I'll try to update soon. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. I want to thank xXItachisXAzulaXx, JustPlainPeachy, lovefatedestiny, Firefairie93, and MonoxideManda for reviewing. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

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**Chapter Two**

Rei reached her home and looked at it from outside. It was a large mansion and she thought that it was just a waste of space as she would be the only one living there and it wasn't like she had any friends to invite. She doubted that her new teammates would want to visit her once they found out about her. She sighed and went in.

She walked into her new room and began to unpack her things. She suddenly stopped when she picked up a picture of her parents. She scowled as she looked at it and tossed it aside. It went under her bed and she left it there. She had made up her mind to forget about her past. She wanted to live a happy, normal life and so she wouldn't let her past prevent her from doing that. She started to unpack her things again, but stopped when she sensed someone nearby. She stood up and went to see who it was.

* * *

Sasuke arrived at Rei's house and looked around. Her house, much like his house was a mansion. He supposed that she had lived there with her parents when they were alive. He felt bad for her as he knew how bad it felt to lose your family. He walked up to the door, but it slid open before he could reach it. Rei stood there in front of him. She looked surprised to see him there.

"Oh hello, what are you doing here?"

"I ran into Kakashi and he asked me to give you this."

Sasuke took out a Konoha headband and handed it to her. She looked at it for a moment and then looked back up at Sasuke.

"Thank you for bringing this. Would you like something to drink? It's the least I could do to repay you for your trouble."

"No, that's fine. I only did it because Kakashi asked me to."

Rei frowned a bit. So he had only done it because they made him. She should have guessed. No one would want to help her willingly. She sighed.

Sasuke looked at her and felt bad for what he had said. She was trying to be nice to him and he had been rude. He tried to think of something to say, but years of being antisocial had left him with nothing but ignorance when it came to talking to others. Then he remembered that she was arranging her things since she had just arrived. Maybe she would feel better if he helped her.

"Hey, would you…like some help unpacking…?"

He looked away. He had never actually been this nice to people, especially to a girl. He knew if he ever offered to help one of his fan girls he would never have a peaceful moment afterwards.

Rei looked at him. She was taken aback by his kind offer, but supposed that he was just trying to be nice. She wouldn't let him help her. It wasn't that she didn't need the help, she really needed it, but she wouldn't take the help that was offered to her out of what she guessed was pity.

"No, that's fine. I wouldn't want to bother you. Thank you, good night."

Sasuke looked up, surprised that she had rejected his offer. She was about to close the door when he caught it. She was a bit surprised at this and to be honest so was he. He looked at her for a moment not knowing what to say. His body had just moved on its own.

"Look, I know that I was a bit rude and I want to make up for it. Just let me help you."

She looked at him for a moment before responding.

"You don't have to help me if you don't want to. Just because you said something and you feel bad for it is no reason to pretend to be nice. People should be nice because they want to not because they have to."

Sasuke couldn't believe what she had just said. He felt both relieved and insulted at the same time. He was relieved to hear that she couldn't care less about him and that she could reject him so plainly. That meant that he wouldn't have to put up with yet another crazy girl, but he was insulted at the way she treated him. She really had no reason to get so upset. He was just trying to help. But, still, it was true that the only reason he was being so nice was because it would make him feel better not because he actually wanted to help. He sighed.

"Still, I want to help you. You must have a lot to do and you still need to rest for tomorrow. Just let me help you."

Rei looked at him and knew he wouldn't leave unless she agreed to let him help. She gave up and opened the door to let him in.

"Alright, but you don't have to help too much. Just do what you can."

Sasuke walked in and looked around. Rei walked off and left him alone. He frowned and followed her. He found her in what he guessed was her room. She was putting some clothes away.

"So, what should I do?"

Rei thought for a second.

"Well, you can help me sweep the hallways."

"Wouldn't you rather have me help you unpack?"

"I told you, I won't make you do a lot. I know you really don't want to stay."

Sasuke frowned and looked out into the hall where some boxes were piled up against the wall.

"Are you sure you don't want help with those?" He said pointing at them.

Rei looked at where he was pointing.

"No, I'll just do those tomorrow. For now I just want to clean up a bit and unpack what I need."

Sasuke nodded and helped her put some things away. Then he helped her clean up and sweep. They were cleaning up her room when he found the picture of her parents under the bed. He picked it up and saw that it was broken.

"Hey, I found this under the bed."

Rei looked at it and frowned. She took it from him and frowned.

"It's just trash. I'll take care of it later."

She looked out through the window.

"It's getting late maybe you should go home."

"Yeah."

They walked to the door and Sasuke stepped out. He turned back to look at Rei.

"Thanks for your help."

"It was nothing."

"Hey, what's your name? We weren't properly introduced."

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha."

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Sasuke."

"Yeah." He left.

* * *

Rei sat on her bed thinking of what had just happened. At first she had thought that Sasuke was a bit arrogant, but now she didn't know what to think. Sure he really didn't want to help her get settled, but he had and he didn't complain like most people would. She thought that he was actually nice. She wondered how strong he really was. She couldn't wait to work with him as his teammate. Maybe starting over wouldn't be so bad. She took off her old Kirigakure headband and put on her new Konoha headband. Maybe she would like living in Konoha. Her other teammates also looked nice. She felt a new wave of optimism as she thought of what her new life would be like.

* * *

Sasuke walked home and thought about his new teammate. She really wasn't like the other girls he had met. She was different. Not just because she didn't glomp him every time she saw him, but because she treated him as an equal and didn't care who he was. He was so used to being treated differently because of who he was that it felt strange to be around someone that didn't care.

He wondered how strong she was. Maybe she wouldn't be as useless and annoying as the other two morons he had to work with. He smirked at the thought of meeting someone worth his time. Still, he reminded himself not to jump to conclusions. He didn't really know what she was like. He would look forward to the next day.

_**End Chapter Two**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and please review. Sayonara!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter although I am a bit sad because only one person reviewed for the last chapter. Thanks to JustPlainPeachy for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

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**Chapter Three**

Rei woke up the next day and got ready to go train with her new team. She showered and got dressed. She smiled as she placed her new Konoha headband on her forehead. She had a quick breakfast and left her house. As she stepped out she realized that she wasn't completely sure of where she was supposed to meet the others. She sighed and hurried to try and find the others. She would have to ask one of them to help her find her way around town.

* * *

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were waiting for Rei and Kakashi in the training field. They were used to Kakashi showing up late, but they had thought that Rei would show up in time since it was her first day working with them. They stood there waiting for them to arrive and after much waiting something occurred to Naruto.

"Hey, you guys, what if Rei-chan is lost?"

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other. They had to admit that it was highly possible that she was lost, after all it was her first day walking around the village by herself. They sighed, they would have to go look for her.

"Well, we should go look for her, but what if Kakashi-sensei arrives and we're not here?" Sakura said.

"He can wait for us for once since he's always making us wait." Naruto said.

"Alright, then how about we split up and look for her. We can meet back here in half an hour."

They nodded and split up.

* * *

By now Rei was upset with herself for getting lost and being late on her first day with her new team. She looked at the clock and saw that she was already late for about an hour. She sighed and gave up. She sat down on some stairs and sighed. She figured since she was already late she might as well rest for a few minutes before starting off again.

She stood up to leave and was about to start off again when she felt someone watching her. She turned around and saw a boy around her age standing in front of her. He was wearing a green jumpsuit and had a red Konoha headband around his waist. She couldn't help but notice his hair and eyebrows. His eyebrows were large to say the least. Still, she smiled as she really didn't know who this guy was, but he seemed nice enough. Besides, she really needed help at the moment.

"Hello, are you new here? I haven't seen you around here before."

"Yes, I just arrived yesterday. My name is Rei Hatori."

"I am Rock Lee. It is a pleasure to meet you. Are you a Gennin?"

"Yes, I am. In fact I was supposed to meet my team in the training grounds, but I got lost on the way."

"I could help you if you want. I could take you to the training grounds."

"I would be very grateful if you could."

"This way please."

Rei smiled and thanked God she had run into Lee. She only wished she could have met him sooner, then she wouldn't be so late. As they walked they talked and she saw that he was really nice and polite. He asked where she was from and was very interested in her story. She in turn found out that he specialized in Taijutsu. He seemed to be proud of what he had accomplished through his hard work and she could see that he greatly admired his Sensei. She wondered what his sensei was like and how strong he was. Before she could ask him anything about him she heard someone calling her name.

"Rei-chan!"

She turned and saw Naruto running towards her. She stopped along with Lee and Naruto stopped in front of her.

"There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you. Sasuke and Sakura-chan are looking for you too."

Rei smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry about that. I got lost while I was on my way to the training grounds. Luckily I ran into Lee and he offered to help me."

Naruto looked over at Lee. Apparently he hadn't noticed that he was there.

"Oh, hey, bushy-brows! Thanks for helping Rei-chan."

Rei got a sweatdrop at hearing Lee's nickname.

"Well, we should go Rei-chan. We're supposed to meet back in half an hour."

They waved at Lee as they left.

"Hey, Naruto-kun, sorry for being late."

"Don't worry about it. Kakashi-sensei is always late and he never has a good excuse. It wasn't your fault that you were late."

* * *

They arrived at the training grounds and saw the other two waiting for them. Rei smiled and rubbed the back of her head as they approached them.

"Sorry for being late. I got lost on my way here."

"It's alright. At least we had something to do while we waited for Kakashi-sensei." Sakura said.

"You mean he hasn't arrived?"

"He has a habit of being late."

A while later Kakashi finally showed up. After getting scolded for being late by Naruto and Sakura he told them about their mission.

"We are supposed to deliver these documents to another village. It's not too far from here and it should be an easy mission. You should go gather your things and we will meet here in three hours. You are dismissed."

With that he left in a cloud of smoke.

"Man, he made us come here just to tell us that?" Naruto complained.

"Well, it's not like he hasn't done that before." Sakura replied.

"Yeah, I guess." Naruto said, then he got an idea.

Naruto turned to look at Rei hoping that he would be able to walk her home. If he was lucky she would ask him to show her around the village.

"Hey, Rei-chan, do you-" He was cut off by Sasuke.

"Come on, I'll take you home so you don't get lost again." He said in his usual neutral tone of voice.

"Thank you Sasuke. Bye Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan."

Naruto watched in despair as Rei walked away with Sasuke while Sakura watched in horror as her beloved Sasuke-kun left with another girl. She cursed her luck.

'_Why couldn't we get another guy in the team?' _She thought.

* * *

Sasuke and Rei walked in silence. Rei didn't really mind. At least Sasuke had been nice enough to help her. She was going to ask Naruto, but she didn't want to bother him. Luckily Sasuke had offered although she didn't know why.

Sasuke walked next to Rei glancing at her from time to time. He was confused by his actions. He wondered what had made him offer to help this girl. Well, at least they were almost at her house. They arrived and she turned to look at him. She smiled and Sasuke found himself tempted to do the same.

"Thank you for helping me Sasuke. I guess I'll see you later."

She turned to go into her house, but for some reason Sasuke spoke again even though he had done what he was supposed to.

"If you want I can come back for you later and we can go beck together."

Rei stood there looking at him strangely. Why was he being so nice? She was confused, but she couldn't deny that she really needed the help.

By now Sasuke was ready to beat the crap out of whatever part of his mind that had made him say that. Still, he couldn't go back now.

"That's alright I don't want to bother you anymore. You've done enough for me already. Thank you Sasuke."

"It's fine by me. We're heading to the same place so it doesn't matter."

"Well, okay then. I'll see you later."

She went inside and Sasuke walked away.

'_Why the hell did I just do that? Why do I care if she gets lost? Dammit, now I have to come back.'_

* * *

Later that day Rei was waiting for Sasuke to show up. She was done packing and she was sitting outside her house. She looked up at the sky.

'_Looks like it's going to rain.'_ She thought.

* * *

Sasuke was walking to Rei's house when he heard someone running behind him. He turned around and saw Naruto. He stopped when he saw Sasuke.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the training grounds?"

"I could say the same for you, loser."

Naruto glared and Sasuke just walked off.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I told Rei I would take her to the training grounds."

Naruto couldn't believe it. He wanted to walk with Rei that's why he wasn't at the training grounds. He was heading to her house.

"Where are you headed?" Sasuke asked.

"I was going to see Rei-chan and walk with her so that she doesn't get lost."

"Well, you don't have to do that anymore. I'll take care of it."

Sasuke walked off and Naruto followed. Sasuke didn't bother with arguing as he knew how stubborn Naruto could be. They reached Rei's home a few minutes later and saw her sitting out in front. She looked surprised when she saw the two boys.

"Hi Rei-chan!"

"Hi Naruto-kun. What are you doing here?"

"I thought I should come see if you needed help getting back to our meeting spot."

"Well, Sasuke offered to take me, but you're welcome to walk with us." She said smiling.

Naruto smiled and Sasuke just stayed silent. In truth he was a bit annoyed at Naruto's intrusion, but he didn't know why. He looked at Rei.

"Let's go."

And so the three shinobi left to meet Sakura and Kakashi. They were about to depart on a mission that they would always remember, a mission that would claim their remaining sanity.

_**End Chapter Three**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review that sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello people! I hope you guys like this chapter. Sorry for the late update, but I was having problems uploading the chapter. Anyways, I found a way to get past it. Also I might not be able to update too often because I have a big project due this week. I'll try to update as much as I can. Thanks to Dani Casster, ruler of dragons, and JustPlainPeachy for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

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**Chapter Four**

Naruto, Sasuke, and Rei arrived at the training grounds where Kakashi and Sakura were waiting for them. Rei could see Sakura frowning as they approached them, but she didn't know why and so she ignored it.

"Are you guys ready for the mission?" Kakashi said.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Naruto exclaimed.

Rei smiled at the hyperactive Naruto. They began to walk and Rei was very exited at the prospect of going on her first mission with her new team. Sakura made sure to stay close to Sasuke. Naruto began to talk with Rei and asked her about her life in Kirigakure.

"So, which village do you like the most, Rei-chan?"

"I don't know, Naruto-kun, I haven't really been here long enough to say, but I really like this village. The people here seem nice and the landscape is very pretty. Everything is so peaceful. I have to say, I'm impressed with how well the Hokage runs this village."

"Well, someday I'll be the Hokage and I'll make this village even better!" Naruto said smiling.

Rei smiled at him. She liked his optimistic disposition and couldn't help but smile when he was around.

"I'm sure you will be Naruto-kun. I'll look forward to the day when your dream comes true."

Naruto blushed. She was the first person that hadn't mocked him after hearing about his dream to become the Hokage. She actually acknowledged him and liked talking to him, but then again she didn't know about the Kyuubi that was sealed inside of him. He hoped that if she found out she would still be his friend.

Rei noticed that Naruto looked a bit sad. She wondered if she had said anything wrong. She was about to ask him when Sasuke spoke.

"So, what kind of jutsus did you learn while you were in Kirigakure?"

"Well, I learned the usual jutsus from the village and the basic skills."

"You mean water based jutsus like mizubunshin?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know any other type of jutsus, like the ones we use in Konoha?" Naruto asked not wanting to be ignored.

"Yeah, my father taught me some before he died."

"Sorry about that…" Naruto said.

Rei smiled at Naruto.

"It's alright Naruto-kun. I have to get used to the idea of losing them. I can't spend all of my life mourning over their deaths." She smiled.

Sasuke looked at her and wondered how she could be so strong. He hadn't seen many people her age deal with the death of a loved one so well. He himself had not completely accepted the death of his parents. In a way he still mourned their deaths. As he looked at her he noticed that although she was smiling her eyes held a sorrowful look. Maybe she wasn't as untouched by their deaths as he had initially thought. His thoughts were interrupted when Kakashi spoke.

"Let's hurry it's starting to rain."

They began to jump from tree trying to reach their destination faster. A while later the finally reached a small village. They hurried to the home of the village leader to deliver the documents. They were welcomed warmly and they delivered the documents.

"Thank you very much for delivering this. As always you Konoha ninja are very reliable." Said the leader while smiling.

"Well, I guess we better get going then." Kakashi said.

"Wait, you can't travel in this weather."

"Well, I guess we could stay at an inn. We passed one on the way here."

"Alright then, good luck on your way back."

They left and headed to the inn. They arrived soon and took two rooms. Rei and Sakura shared one room while the guys shared another one. They decided to go to the hot springs in the inn. Rei went into the hot springs with Sakura while Naruto and Sasuke went in the other side. Kakashi said he would stay in his room and rest. They suspected that he just wanted to read his book.

"Hey, Rei-chan, what do you think of the village? Do you like it?"

"Yeah, I do. I think I'm going to like living in Konoha. It's a very nice village."

"Well, it's good to hear that you're getting used to your new life. It must be hard to start over in a whole different place."

"It can be, but I just have to stay positive and not think of the things that can go wrong." 

Sakura looked at her and couldn't help but smile. She had to admit that she was doing her best to adapt to her new life and from the small hints that she had received she could tell that she had had a rough life. She had to admire her a bit even if she was getting too close to Sasuke. Then it occurred to her, maybe she could find out what she thought of Sasuke.

* * *

On the other side the guys had just gotten in the springs. Naruto was as hyper as ever and Sasuke had to wonder why he was there in the first place. He saw Naruto get close to the wooden wall separating them from the girls. Sasuke had to admit that this definitely put Naruto on his pervert list.

"What are you doing you idiot?" He said in a hoarse whisper.

"Shut up! I think they're talking about us."

Naruto put his ear to the wall and listened closely. He heard them laughing and then he heard Sakura speak.

"So what do you think about the guys?"

"I think they're nice."

"Yeah, but what do you think about them? What do you think about Naruto?"

When he heard Sakura ask this he grew tense. He awaited her answer anxiously. Sasuke noticed this and wondered what they were talking about. He grew even more curious when he saw Naruto smirking widely. 

"I think that he is very nice. He's very sweet and I like the fact that he is so optimistic."

Sasuke approached Naruto and pulled his ear to get him away from the wall.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Sasuke wouldn't let him go, but he got an idea.

"Don't you want to hear what Rei-chan thinks about you? That's what Sakura-chan is going to ask her." He said with a sly smile.

Sasuke stopped pulling and looked at him suspiciously. To be honest he really was curious, but if he was lying then he would look like a fool. Why did he care about what she thought about him anyways? While he was thinking Naruto managed to get away from him. He went back to eavesdropping. Sasuke sighed and gave up. He reluctantly walked over to where Naruto was and pressed his ear to the wall.

They heard the girls laughing and talking about Kakashi and his perverted book. They were so concentrated in listening to the conversation that they failed to notice the creaking of the wall.

"What do you think of Sasuke?" Sakura inquired.

Naruto smirked. He was anxious to hear what she though about Sasuke. He hoped that she thought of him as at least a bit better than Sasuke. Sasuke listened closely waiting for Rei to answer. He was becoming impatient and then she finally spoke.

"Did you hear that?"

Both Naruto and Sasuke froze. Had they heard them?

"Heard what?"

"That creaking noise, listen."

Everything was quiet and the boys didn't dare move in fear of being discovered. Suddenly their worst nightmare came true. The wall separating them gave out. It fell with a loud splash on the girl's side. Rei and Sakura froze as they saw Naruto and Sasuke standing there. They were looking at them with a mixture of shock and confusion. The guys on the other hand were looking at them with fear and surprise. They didn't know if they should stay and apologize or run away as fast as they could.

However, the right choice of action became quite clear when they felt the murderous intent emanating from the girls. They shrank back in fear of what would happen to them as the girls glared at them. They ran as fast as they could and went inside the inn. They dressed quickly and dashed to their room before the girls could get to them. Still they were aware that they would have to face them sooner or later. To put it simply they were doomed.

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**_End Chapter Four_**

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**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for not updating sooner. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello People! Hope you guys like this chapter. I'm really happy because so many of you reviewed. Me being happy is a good thing because now I can write a lot! Thanks to Dani Casster, XcutelilninjaX, Firefairie93, larrycucumber2, tru-viet, pcttgirl23, AkatsukiUchihaItachi, Snow Drop Princess, Uchiha Hikari, JustPlainPeachy, and ruler of dragons for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

The boys entered their room and saw that Kakashi was already asleep with his book on his face. Naruto locked the door. Sasuke turned to glare at him.

"You idiot! This is all your fault! If you hadn't been such a pervert this wouldn't have happened!"

"I am not a pervert! I wasn't peeping I was eavesdropping. Besides I didn't make you listen. You were listening to them because you wanted to so don't blame me. Why were you even listening?"

Sasuke blushed a bit and turned away so that Naruto wouldn't see him, but it was too late. Naruto smirked and looked at Sasuke.

"Oh, was it because of Rei-chan?" He said slyly.

"Shut up and go to sleep you dope!"

Sasuke went to bed and Naruto did the same. Sasuke laid there trying to sleep, but found that he couldn't. He was curious about what Rei would have answered Sakura. Still, it didn't matter anymore as she probably saw him as some sort of pervert thanks to Naruto.

"Hey, Sasuke, what do you think they're going to do to us? I mean, you know Sakura-chan has to get even with us and Rei-chan is probably upset too."

"I don't know, but I'd rather not think about it."

The boys couldn't help but shiver as they thought of the possibilities. They were definitely not eager to see the girls in the morning. They went to sleep knowing that they would need their rest to get through the next day.

* * *

When Naruto woke up the next morning he felt cold and uncomfortable. He opened his eyes and saw that he was outside. He was puzzled at this.

"So, you're finally awake, dope."

Naruto turned around and saw Sasuke. As soon as he saw him he began to laugh. Sasuke just glared at him and made a note to kill Naruto later. At the moment they were both tied to a tree outside the inn that they were staying at. But, that wasn't the worst part.

"Ha, you're…in your…underwear…" Naruto said between fits of laughter.

"Shut up you dope and look at yourself."

Naruto stopped laughing and looked down to see that he was wearing nothing but his boxers just like Sasuke.

"Oh man, don't tell me Rei-chan and Sakura-chan did this."

"They did. Who else would do something like this."

"How long do you think that they're going to keep us here?"

"I don't know."

"Can't you get out?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"No, I tried. Whoever tied us up did a good job."

And so Naruto and Sasuke had to stay there and endure the taunts that they received from the people that passed by. Soon the girls woke up and went to check up on the guys. When they got there they stopped in front of them and laughed. They knew they had already done enough, but they couldn't help it.

"So, did you guys learn your lesson?"

No answer.

"We'll let you go, but don't let us catch you doing something so perverted again."

Rei untied them and Sakura handed them their clothes. They took their clothes and got dressed quickly while the girls giggled nearby before leaving to the inn. After they got dressed they followed after them.

* * *

When they arrived at the inn They were greeted by the girls and Kakashi. They were all ready to leave. Sasuke and Naruto got their stuff and they left the inn. Soon they were once again traveling trough the forest. Sasuke and Naruto made sure to stay behind Rei and Sakura who were talking happily ahead of them. They shuddered at the memory of their revenge.

As they neared the village Sasuke began to wonder what Rei actually thought about him. He had to blame Naruto for raising his curiosity. If it hadn't been for him he wouldn't even have thought of what her view of him was. Of course, if it wasn't for Naruto he wouldn't have had to spend the night outside and half of the morning enduring the mocking laughter of the people that saw them tied to the tree. He made a note to himself to stay away from Naruto for a while.

They arrived at Konoha and were dismissed by Kakashi who went to report to the Hokage. After he left Rei and Sakura turned to Sasuke and Naruto. The guys cringed when they saw them turn towards them. The girls just smiled.

"Hey, guys, listen, now that we're even there's really no need for you to be scared." Sakura said.

"You mean you're not going to beat us." Naruto said uneasily.

"No, Naruto-kun, we're even now, but you better not do anything that perverted again because we **will** hurt you then." Rei said.

"O-okay." Naruto said shakily.

"Now, how about we go get something to eat? I'm starved!"

"Yeah, let's get some ramen!"

And so they went to the ramen shop. They ate and talked and had a good time. However, Rei noticed that Sasuke was very quiet. She wondered why he was always quiet. She was curious to learn why he was so serious. She decided that she would try to find out later. She stood up ready to go home.

"Well, I'll see you later. I think that I should get home now, I still haven't finished unpacking."

"Bye, Rei-chan, see you tomorrow."

"Bye Naruto-kun."

"Rei-chan, we don't have any missions tomorrow, maybe we could do something fun."

"I don't know Sakura-chan. I have a lot to do at home."

"Well, goodnight then."

Rei turned to leave but Sasuke stood up.

"I'll walk with you. We're headed the same way." He said tonelessly.

She nodded. She knew that with Sasuke there was no use in arguing. She just wondered why he was willing to walk with her. They began to walk in silence, but she didn't really mind. There were a lot of people outside walking and looking at the stores. She liked looking at all the people. The town was so lively and she smiled as she walked. Suddenly she saw Sasuke cringe as he looked ahead. He grabbed her arm and tried to pull her to the side, but it was too late.

"Sasuke-kun!"

She saw a young girl with long blond hair and light blue eyes run towards them. She heard Sasuke groan and wondered what was wrong. Then she found out. The girl ran at him and threw herself on him. Sasuke glared at her.

"Sasuke-kun, where have you been? I missed you!"

"Ino, get off me!"

Rei just stood there looking at the girl as she pouted and continued to rant about how much she had missed Sasuke. Sasuke looked miserable as he stood there.

"I'm busy, why don't you go bother your own teammates."

"Oh, but Sasuke-" She stopped as she saw Rei.

"Who is this?"

"This is my new teammate, her name is Rei." Sasuke said without interest.

Suddenly something occurred to Sasuke. Rei really didn't seem to care about him and she was a girl so maybe he could use her to get away from Ino.

"I was just walking her home and we should get going. Come on Rei-chan" He said grabbing her hand.

Rei, although new to all of this, was not stupid. She figured out what Sasuke was doing and thought it would be fun to bother him.

"It's okay Sasuke-_kun_ why don't you stay with Ino and I'll walk home by myself." She said mockingly.

Sasuke swore that he would kill the girl once he had gotten away from Ino. He could tell that she was onto him. He figured it was his own fault. He had overdone it with adding the Chan to her name.

"No, I promised I would walk you home, _remember_?" He said through gritted teeth.

Rei bit her lip. It was all she could do to keep from cracking up at Sasuke's desperate attemps to get her to cooperate. Sasuke glared at her and Ino stood there with a mixture of anger and confusion on her face. Sasuke turned to her and she smiled sweetly at him.

"It's alright Sasuke-kun, maybe you can just tell me about your mission tomorrow."

Sasuke groaned to himself. He felt Rei shaking with laughter and decided that he would torture her before killing her. He hastily came up with another lie for Ino.

"Well, I offered to show Rei-chan around town tomorrow since she's new here."

"Oh, okay…I'll see you later then." Ino looked at him disappointed.

Sasuke pulled Rei along as he hurried away from Ino. When they were away he let go of her hand and turned to look at her.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't laugh so much next time."

"Why? I was just being honest, I mean, you lied to your friend."

"She's not my friend, she's just an annoying girl."

"Whatever, is that why you offered to walk with me?" She asked smiling slyly.

"No."

"Then why-"

"It doesn't matter."

They kept walking and Rei began to wander once again why he was being so nice. They reached her home and Rei turned to look at Sasuke.

"Well, thanks for walking with me. Goodnight."

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

Rei turned back around.

"But, I thought that we didn't have any missions tomorrow." She said puzzled.

"We don't, but I said I would show you around town."

"But, you didn't mean it did you?"

Sasuke looked away. He turned back around and began to walk away.

"I'll pick you up at around ten in the morning."

Rei stood there for a while. She sighed and walked in. She would never be able to understand Sasuke Uchiha no matter how hard she tried. Of course that didn't mean that she wouldn't try.

_**End Chapter Five**_

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**__**

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ruler of dragons, Dani Casster, try-viet, uchiha hikari, Firefairie93, pcttgirl23, AkatsukiUchihaItachi, and RawrRemy for reviewing. You guys are awesome, I love writing this fic because I get lots of reviews and because of that I update more often than on my other stories. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Rei woke up and laid in bed for a while. She sighed and got up after she looked at the clock by her bed. It was a quarter to ten, she supposed she should get up. She stretched and took a shower. She got dressed and didn't remember that she had a previous arrangement for that day. However she was reminded of this when she heard someone calling. She went to se who it was and the previous night suddenly played in her mind. She had forgotten that Sasuke would pick her up at ten to show her around town. She was lucky to have woken up early enough for her to get dressed.

Sasuke looked at Rei and saw that she had obviously forgotten about their previous arrangement. He could tell because when she opened the door she had looked at him with a puzzled look which was replaced by a look of comprehension followed by an attempt at her usual expression. He sighed as he was annoyed by the fact that she had forgotten.

"You forgot about me showing you around didn't you?" He said annoyed.

"No, of course not! Just let me get some of my things."

She didn't give Sasuke a chance to answer as she shot into her house and disappeared from Sasuke's sight. He sighed and stepped in. He walked to where he heard some noise and found her searching her room for her shuriken holster. She looked up at him and grinned.

"Sorry. I suppose you already guessed that I forgot." She said sheepishly.

He sighed.

"Just hurry up."

* * *

A while later they were finally able to leave. They had some breakfast and Sasuke showed her around. He took her to the Academy and showed her the marketplace. Sasuke then took her to the top of the Hokage statues overlooking the village. They had a very good view of the village. Sasuke used this to point out the other important places of the village. They walked back to the marketplace and went to Icharaku ramen to get lunch.

"Thanks for showing me around Sasuke."

"Hn, it's not like I had a choice, after all I said I would."

"But, you did have a choice. You didn't have to do this if you didn't want to. I appreciate it."

She smiled even though on the inside she wanted to smack Sasuke for acting so smug. But, luckily for him, she knew by now that he wasn't the type of person that would show that he had willingly helped someone. He was the type of person that could save your life and say that he had done it out of boredom not because he wanted to. He knew him because she could relate to him. She had once felt like him, but she had discovered that there was no point in avoiding people and keeping your feelings locked inside. She had found out that pushing people away only prolonged her pain instead of making her stronger like she had initially thought. She had at first seen friends as useless connections that only served to make you weaker and intrude in your life, but she had changed and she was happier now.

Sasuke looked at Rei and felt the sudden urge to smile back, but managed to catch himself in time. What the hell was he thinking? Since when did he smile at girls he had just met? Since when did he smile? He sighed. She was definitely a strange person if she could get him to smile. He stuffed his mouth with ramen to keep himself from doing something out of character. As he ate he tried to ignore the strange looks she was giving him.

* * *

They left the shop and began to walk back to Rei's house. On the way they ran into Sakura. She walked up to them and turned to Rei.

"Rei-chan, I thought you said you were busy today." She said suspiciously.

Rei laughed nervously. She had forgotten that Sakura had asked her to spend some time with her. She had told her that she had to finish arranging her things at home, but that was before Sasuke said he would show her around and with Sasuke there was no use arguing.

"Well, actually, I was going to spend the day cleaning up my house, but Sasuke offered to show me around the village."

Rei missed Sasuke signaling for her to stop. He sighed when she told Sakura that he had offered to help her. He watched in despair as Sakura got an evil look and felt the killing intent emanating from her.

"Oh, did he? Well, I hope you enjoy yourselves. I have to go pick up some things for my mom. I'll see you tomorrow." With that she left.

Rei stood there looking a bit puzzled since Sakura had sounded a bit strange. It was like she was upset, but why? She turned to look at Sasuke and saw him glaring at her.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Great job, now we have to listen to her incessant whining tomorrow."

He walked away and Rei looked at him wondering what he was talking about.

"Hurry up, I don't have time to wait for you."

Rei frowned and walked up to him thinking that he didn't have to be so rude.

"What do you mean about Sakura whining?"

Sasuke sighed, he hated explaining this type of thing.

"She's always trying to get me to go out with her like Ino and most of the other girls. She'll be upset tomorrow."

Rei tried to hold in her laughter, but couldn't. She laughed while Sasuke glared at her. As he watched the girl laugh he thought that he would like nothing more than to kill her. She stopped laughing and wiped a tear from her eye.

"You mean you have a fan club?" She said smirking.

Sasuke glared at her. Maybe if he glared hard enough he could burn her to a crisp. It was worth a shot.

"Wow, I had no idea you were so popular."

"Shut up." He turned around and began to walk.

Rei followed after him.

"Oh, come on. I was just kidding. You're so serious, you should really lighten up and talk more to people. You know, make a few friends."

Sasuke had had enough of this girl. He turned to look at her and grabbed her by her shirt.

"Shut up. Don't talk about things that you know nothing about. It might be easy for you to be happy, but not for me. I have no use for friends or companions. I am an avenger and my purpose is to avenge my clan. Because of this I can't afford to be soft like you and the other worthless people like you. My goal is to kill the person that wiped out my clan and to do that I must be strong so I have no time for you or anyone else."

He let her go and she just looked at him, but there was something different in the way she looked at him. Her eyes looked different, they were no longer full of joy, but they held a look of sorrow and pain. He was amazed at how much they resembled his own.

"You're wrong Sasuke. Just because you have led a hard life doesn't mean that you are the only one that has suffered. My life has been filled with sorrow as well because I am also alone, but there is no use in living with that pain. I was once like you. I thought that people were worthless and that they only served to make others weak with their foolish bonds, but I saw that I was wrong. People don't make you weak, their bonds make you stronger. They give you something to fight for, to live for, and to become stronger to protect. There is also someone I want to kill, but I won't let my life revolve around him. I want to lead my own life without regrets and I know that if I only lived to kill him that I would regret it. So you see, I know how you feel."

She began to walk away to her home. She stopped.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time." She said without turning to look at Sasuke and left.

Sasuke stood there thinking about what she had said. So she was similar to him. So she had also suffered and was also alone. Sasuke sighed and turned to go home. He felt bad for having been so harsh with Rei, but he thought that it would be better to wait until the next day to talk to her. As much as he hated to he would have to apologize. He had to admit that he had really screwed up this time.

* * *

Rei arrived at home and began to work on unpacking the rest of her stuff. She did this for the rest of the day and then went to bed. As she laid there she thought about what Sasuke had said. She had been surprised to learn about his ambitions and now understood why he was so serious all of the time, but she was also upset with him. She knew how he felt, but she also knew that he was wrong. She knew that it was wrong of him to live for the sole purpose of revenge.

She sighed and turned in her bed. She wished she could make him understand that he should forget about revenge and just enjoy life. She was mad at him because of how he had reacted. She had only wanted to help because she knew that even though he said he didn't need anyone he was probably suffering on the inside. She knew that he must feel lonely and sad. That was why she wanted to help him and before she fell asleep she decided that she would become his friend no matter what.

_**End Chapter Six**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for taking so long to update. Anyways, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to Firefairie93, tru-viet, pcttgirl23, and ruler of dragons for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Rei woke up and got dressed. She took an apple and headed to the training grounds where she was supposed to meet her team. About halfway to the training grounds she saw someone standing against a wall. As she got closer and saw who it was she frowned. Sasuke stood there apparently waiting for someone and she knew who he was waiting for. Still, she chose to ignore him as she was still a bit upset about the previous night. She walked past him without turning to look at him, but he began to walk with her. Still, she did not acknowledge him. She heard him sigh next to her.

"Rei, about last night –"

"Don't."

Sasuke looked at her, but she didn't look at him instead she began to walk faster. Sasuke sighed as he stopped walking. So she was still upset. He didn't blame her. He had been harsh with her, but as he thought about how he should apologize he wondered why he was even thinking of apologizing. It was indeed the first time he had ever even considered doing something so…nice. However, she was the only normal one out of his team and he wanted her to stay that way.

* * *

Soon Rei reached the training grounds and was glad to see Naruto's smiling face. It was much better than a scowling Sasuke. Kakashi wasn't there yet, as usual and she noticed that Sakura seemed upset. She wondered if it was because of her not spending time with her. She shrugged it off and went over to where Naruto was standing.

"Hi Rei-chan!"

"Hi Naruto-kun so, Kakashi-sensei isn't here?"

"No, he's probably going to be late again. He always is." Naruto said annoyed.

Rei sighed. She knew he would be late, but she had hoped that for once he would be on time. She really didn't want to stay with a brooding Sasuke and a grumpy Sakura. At least she still had Naruto. She sighed again and turned to look at Naruto as she was intent on ignoring everyone but Naruto for the day. She really had no option as she knew Sakura was upset and Sasuke was probably still in his jerk mode as she liked to call it. She began to talk with Naruto and after a while Kakashi arrived.

"Hello! Sorry for being late. You see I was on my way here when I ran into a little girl and-"

"LIAR!" Naruto and Rei said.

Kakashi noticed that Sakura, who usually screamed at him as well, was unusually quiet. He glanced at Sasuke and saw that he was looking at Rei and frowning. He wondered what had happened, but decided that he would find out soon. Even if he didn't he trusted his students to solve their own problems.

"Well, today we have a C-rank mission. It should be simple."

"What is the mission about?" Rei inquired.

"We are supposed to take care of some thugs that have been causing trouble in a nearby town. It won't take long, but it will be a good chance for you guys to practice your fighting skills. It shouldn't be too dangerous as it is just a couple of thugs."

"When are we leaving?" Naruto asked.

"As soon as you guys are ready."

"Alright then let's go!"

Naruto grabbed Rei and dragged her away towards the village gate. Rei sighed as she was dragged away. Soon the others had caught up with them and they were all traveling together. After a while of traveling they reached the town. Kakashi talked to the one that had hired them and made arrangements. The sun would go down soon and so they would begin their mission in the morning. They asked around the town about the thugs and went to rest at an inn. Rei and Sakura shared a room and so did Sasuke and Naruto.

Rei and Sakura settled into their room and Sakura remained silent. Rei wondered how long she would keep this up. Was Sasuke really that important to her? Hell she could have him if she wanted. Still, she knew she had to say something.

"Sakura, are you alright? You've been so quiet lately…"

Sakura turned to look at her and Rei could see the anger that she had been holding back during the whole trip. She glared at Rei.

"How could you take Sasuke away like that!?! I thought we were friends! You lied to me to et me out of the way so that you could spend time with him. How could you do something like that!?!"

"What are you talking about? I didn't want to take Sasuke away from you and I didn't want to get rid of you. That night Sasuke walked me home we ran into Ino and Sasuke had to lie to her to get away from her. He said he would show me around the village so that he wouldn't have to go out with her I never asked him to do it."

"Stop lying!"

"I'm not lying. Why do you care so much? I don't like Sasuke and I don't wan to take him away from you. All I want is to be friends with him so that we could function better as a team. I want to be friends with all of you and be a good team."

"You just want Sasuke-kun for yourself! After all the time I've spent trying to get him to go out with me I won't let you steal him!"

Rei was really upset by now. How could she worry so much about some guy she liked and so little about her mission.

"Well, maybe if you were a true shinobi and didn't spend all of your time trying to seduce him he would pay more attention to you instead of trying to run away from you. You should be ashamed of yourself. You may know all of the rules and theories by heart, but it's of no use if you can't remember that the most important thing is your mission and teamwork. Why don't you grow up and then see if he likes you better."

With that she left slamming the door behind her and leaving a fuming Sakura behind.

_**End Chapter Seven**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for the shortness, but I've been busy studying for my AP exams. I'll try to update soon. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to uchiha hikari, ruler of dragons, tru-viet, Firefairie93, AkatsukiUchihaItachi, and Luca4ever for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Rei went outside and jumped on the roof of the inn. As she sat there looking at the moon she couldn't help but feel that she had been too harsh with Sakura. How could she say those things? Why would she think that she wanted to steal Sasuke? She only wanted to get to know her teammates. She sighed as she thought of what Sakura had said and of how strangely Sasuke had been acting. For now she really just wanted to forget about those things.

She sat there for a while and felt someone's presence behind her. She frowned when she realized who it was. At that moment she really didn't want to see him. She sighed and turned around to look at Sasuke.

"What do you want?" She said indifferently.

Sasuke stood there for a few seconds just looking at her. He wondered what he should say to her. He knew he had to apologize, but it was hard for him since he didn't apologize very often. He sighed and tried to hide the faint blush that had crossed his face.

"I just…I wanted to say…sorry."

Sasuke looked away trying to avoid Rei's gaze. He was startled when he heard her laugh. He looked up to see what was so funny that she would laugh. He swore that if she was laughing at him he would kick her off the roof (notice he no longer wants to kill her). She stopped laughing and looked up at him smiling.

"Sasuke, it's alright. I can tell that you're not used to apologizing, but I appreciate the fact that you tried. I just hope that we can be friends."

Sasuke stood there wondering why she was so strange. A minute ago she had been positively furious with him and now she wanted to be his friend. What was wrong with her? Rei saw the way he was looking at her and smiled.

"Sasuke, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah."

"Good, then I think I'll go to bed. Goodnight Sasuke-kun."

Rei stood up and jumped down. Sasuke just stayed there for a while wondering what in the hell had just happened. He had just wanted to apologize and be back in decent terms with Rei, but somehow he had become Sasuke-kun, Rei's new friend. He had to admit, no matter how sly he was he was nothing compared to her. Somehow she always found a way to get what she wanted and leave him completely clueless. He blamed Naruto. He suspected that his stupidity had somehow begun to stick to him. But, then again, Naruto wasn't tricked by Rei like he was. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as he seemed. He sighed and decided to go back to bed. He was getting a headache. He swore no matter how hard he tried he would never be able to understand that girl. Not that he wanted to.

* * *

Rei woke up early and got dressed before Sakura woke up. She didn't know how that pink haired girl would react after what had happened the previous night. She sighed and walked out of her room only to run into Naruto. He grinned when he saw her and she smiled at him.

"Good morning Rei-chan!"

"Good morning Naruto-kun. You're up awfully early."

"I was hungry." He said happily.

Rei sweatdropped and laughed exasperated.

"Why don't we go get something to eat then?"

"Alright!"

Naruto then proceeded to drag Rei away in search for food. Rei could do nothing but hope they would find them soon.

* * *

An hour later the others finally found them in a restaurant. They all ate and then they began their mission.

"Alright team, you know the mission. You are to locate and capture the thugs that have been causing problems. It should be simple as they have no training in the ninja arts. I suggest that you slit up into two groups to get the job done faster."

Sasuke sensed Sakura looking at him and hurried to claim Rei as his partner. Sure he could have chosen Naruto, but did he really want to spend the whole day alone with the dope. Besides, Rei was neither a fangirl nor a moron and so she was the only reasonable choice. Plus he was on good enough terms with her and she seemed to be strong. At least he knew she was stronger than Sakura and better at sneaking around than Naruto. After all she had managed to remove his clothes with the exception of his underwear and tie him to a tree.

"I'll go with Rei." He said tonelessly.

Sakura frowned and glared at Rei who pretended not to see her. She wondered why Sasuke had chosen her, but knew there was no use in arguing. They split up and went in opposite directions to look for some thugs to catch. Rei just hoped she would remain sane during this mission, but with Sasuke there she couldn't be sure.

_**End Chapter Eight**_

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**Sorry for the shortness, but I'm busy with my other stories and two projects for school as well as one for fanfiction. Anyways, hoped you liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello people! Sorry about not updating in such a long time, but I have been extremely busy. Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ruler of dragons, Firefairie93, tru-viet, Hatsue Cybanne, AkatsukiUchihaItachi, rebelangel313, and pcttgirl23 for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Rei and Sasuke walked around for a while looking for anyone that looked like the thugs that they were after. After a while they decided to head for the woods that lined the village. They figured that the thugs might be hiding there if they heard about their arrival. They walked in silence. Sasuke was perfectly happy with that, but Rei was getting a bit bored. She glanced at Sasuke and sighed. It would be hard to get to know Sasuke if he was always so anti-social. She was distracted by her thoughts and was surprised when Sasuke pulled her to the side.

"What the-"

She was silenced by Sasuke as he placed his hand over her mouth. He motioned to the path and she saw three men. They were the thugs that they were after, at least two of them were. The third man she recognized to be a shinobi. She could see his kunai pouch and shuriken holster. This confused her a bit as they were only supposed to encounter thugs.

"Tell me, how many shinobi are there?" The shinobi inquired.

"There's just four brats and their sensei." One of the thugs responded.

"Then there shouldn't be a problem my partner and I will take care of them quickly. Just make sure that you pay us. It is not wise to owe a rogue shinobi." He said dangerously.

"O-of course."

They left and Sasuke finally released Rei. She sighed. Things had just gotten a bit more complicated. Now they had to deal with rogue shinobi. Rei turned to Sasuke who appeared to be thinking of what to do.

"Sasuke-kun, let's go. We have to find Kakashi-sensei and tell him about the shinobi the thugs hired."

Sasuke looked at her like she was crazy.

"Why? We can take care of them on our own. We don't need to tell Kakashi about this. Let's just capture them ourselves."

"But, Sasuke, what about the others? What if they can't handle them by themselves?"

"Well, that's their fault for being so weak. Come on."

Sasuke turned to follow the thugs, but Rei caught his arm. Sasuke frowned and tried to keep himself from tying her up a tree and leaving her there.

"What now?" He said through gritted teeth.

"If you go after them I'll tell Kakashi."

"Go ahead. By the time you find him it'll be too late."

"Fine! Go, but I suppose that if you do manage to defeat the guys Ino will want to hear about it."

Sasuke froze.

"Maybe I can arrange for her to meet you somewhere so that you can tell her all about it."

Rei smirked and Sasuke sighed and turned back around.

"Why do you insist on aggravating me so much? Why can't you just try to cooperate with me?"

"Because you want to get us killed."

Sasuke glared.

"I just want to get this mission over with. I don't know about you, but I can't just stand here and let Kakashi take care of everything. If we do that we'll never become stronger."

Rei sighed. This proved that there really was no point in arguing with Sasuke.

"Fine, but as soon as we run into too much trouble we'll leave."

Sasuke smirked and began to walk away. Rei couldn't help but want to smack Sasuke on the head.

* * *

They followed the trail the thugs and left and soon they found them. They hid and watched the men. They were talking, probably discussing what they would do next. Sasuke turned to look at Rei.

"Stay here. I'll try to capture them. Don't get involved if you don't have to. If I get captured leave and find the others."

Rei just looked at him like he had an explosive seal in his forehead. She couldn't believe that he actually expected her to stay hidden while he had all the fun.

"No, I'm not a weak little girl like Sakura. I don't need you or want you to have to take care of me. I can take care of myself and I am capable of holding my own in a fight. I want to fight too."

Sasuke sighed and massaged his temples as he closed his eyes. He felt a terrible headache approaching.

"Look, I don't think you're weak. I haven't even seen you fight, but I don't think that you should get involved if you don't have to."

Rei frowned.

"There's no time okay, we have to move." Sasuke hissed.

Rei sighed.

"You're right, we have to do something."

Before Sasuke could say anything Rei had jumped out while making hand signs. She ran at the enemies who were surprised to see her.

"Earth Style: Binding Vines!"

Vines appeared from the ground and wrapped themselves around the men. The shinobi jumped out of the way just as Rei had expected, but the thugs were easily caught. She turned to the other man. He smirked.

"So you're one of the brats that those guys are afraid of? I can't believe this. This job will be easier than I thought."

"You shouldn't talk like that so soon."

Rei ran at him with a kunai in her hand. The man smirked and blocked her attack with one hand. He tried to hit her, but she blocked his punch. However, he managed to kick her sending her flying back a few feet. Sasuke growled and jumped out of his hiding spot. He didn't realize that the injured Rei was actually a shadow clone. The real Rei appeared behind the shinobi and slashed at him with a kunai. He dodged in time, but she managed to cut his arm.

"You're pretty good kid."

"Of course I am. I'm a shinobi." She said smiling.

Sasuke just stood there staring at the girl that just a few minutes ago had been annoying the hell out of him. She was the girl that he had considered to be weaker than him mostly because he thought that all girls were as weak as Sakura. Now he knew that he was wrong. This girl was strong. He doubted that she would even need his help.

Rei thought of what her next move should be. This man was strong, but not the strongest. He had allowed himself to be injured easily which meant one of three things. One, he was weak, two, he had underestimated her and let his guard down, or three, he was toying with her and was only testing her capabilities. She sighed she knew what she had to do.

Rei gathered some chakra around while her opponent watched filled with amusement. She made some hand signs and got into a fighting position that neither Sasuke nor their opponent recognized. She smirked.

"Elemental Taijutsu: Fire Style!"

She charged at her opponent who was shocked as he blocked the various blows that were lit on fire. He flinched when his skin was singed as she grazed him. How could such a young girl be capable of manipulating an element like that? He frowned. He had underestimated the girl. He smirked. He knew what he had to do. While he was thinking of his choices he was distracted and Rei managed to hit him in the ribs. It was enough to send him back a few feet.

He stood up and held his side. He growled at the girl. Sasuke stood there looking at Rei in disbelief. He couldn't believe that she was that powerful.

The man smirked and took out a kunai. He threw it at Rei who dodged it easily. But, before she knew it he was in front of her. She swung at him, but he blocked it with his hand. She stared at him. How could he stand to hold onto her fist while it was surrounded with fire? Then she saw it, it wasn't truly him, but a clone. The real body caught her from behind while the clone held her hands. She tried to get free, but he just caught her by the neck. She struggled, but it was no use. She could feel herself getting weaker. She was about to pass out when she was freed. She looked up and saw someone standing in front of her.

* * *

Sasuke threw a kunai at the enemy's clone and it disappeared. He ran at the real body and kicked him. Rei fell to the ground and he crouched next to her. She looked weak. Suddenly she passed out. Sasuke growled. He would not let that guy get away with hurting his friend.

_**End Chapter Nine**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and sorry if it's short, but I am still a bit busy. I'll try to update soon. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to Hatsue Cybanne, ruler of dragons, Firefairie93, pcttgirl23, and tru-viet, for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.

* * *

**

**Chapter Ten**

Sasuke took out a kunai and ran towards the enemy. The man smirked as he thought that Sasuke was foolish to try to attack him from the front. Suddenly Sasuke disappeared from the man's vision. He was surprised when he appeared in front of him and slashed at him. The man managed to block it, but Sasuke twisted in the air and kicked him on the side. The man fell back a few feet. As he stood up Sasuke threw some kunai at him and the man was pinned to a tree behind him. Sasuke smirked and knocked out the man.

After he had taken care of him he went over to where Rei was. He crouched down next to her and checked to see if she was fine. He sighed and picked her up. He left the man tied up and the thugs trapped by Rei's jutsu as he left to find Kakashi.

Soon he found Kakashi with Naruto and Sakura. They had managed to capture the other thugs and the rogue shinobi. They were all surprised when they saw Sasuke carrying Rei.

"What happened to Rei-chan?" Naruto asked worried.

"We ran into the other thugs and they were accompanied by a rogue shinobi. We managed to capture them and I left them back where we fought. Rei should be fine in a while, she just needs to rest."

"Well, then we better head back to the inn." Kakashi said.

"Shouldn't we turn in the criminals?" Sakura inquired.

"Rei has to rest. The criminals won't go anywhere." Sasuke said coldly.

Sakura frowned wondering why he cared so much about the girl.

"Sasuke's right, we should let her rest. You guys head back to the inn and I'll turn in the thugs."

Kakashi left and they headed back to the inn. Sasuke took Rei to her room and laid her on the bed. He removed her weapons and shoes and covered her with the bed sheets. Naruto helped him and then left to his room. Sakura watched with envy as Sasuke helped her.

"Let her rest for a while. She'll be fine, she just needs to sleep." With that Sasuke left.

* * *

A while later Rei woke up in her own bed. She sat up and found that her neck hurt a bit. Then she remembered what had happened and wondered how she had gotten there. The door opened and Sakura stepped in and stopped when she saw Rei.

"How do you feel?" She asked.

"I'm fine. My neck just hurts a bit. How did I get here?"

"Sasuke-kun carried you here."

Rei raised an eyebrow in surprise. She just couldn't picture Sasuke doing something so…nice. She stood up shakily and went outside.

"Hey, where are you going, Sasuke-kun said you should rest."

"And since when is he a medic-nin?" She said as she kept walking.

Rei walked down the hall and stepped outside. She decided to go for a walk. As she was about to walk off into town someone called out to her. She turned around to meet the person.

"You should be resting." Sasuke said in his usual tone.

"Yeah, well, I got bored with just lying there doing nothing, so I decided to take a walk." She said smiling.

Sasuke smirked.

"What's this, you actually have another expression aside from scowling?"

"Shut up." He said, although he was still smirking.

"Well, come on. I'll join you in your walk."

"Aww, are you worried about me?" She said mockingly.

"No, I just want to make sure you don't pick anymore fights you can't finish."

"Hey! I could have beat that guy. He just caught me off guard."

"Whatever, let's go."

They began to walk towards the town. Rei glanced at Sasuke and remembered that he had helped her and carried her back. She sighed. As much as she hated to she would have to thank the cocky jerk.

"Sasuke, thanks."

Sasuke turned to look at her.

"You don't have to thank me."

"Yes I do. You helped me and carried me back. Thanks."

"Well, as annoying as you are I couldn't just leave you."

She smiled and let the comment about her being annoying slide. She figured she would smack him the next time.

* * *

They walked for a bit and then sat down to rest. Sasuke turned to Rei. There was something that he had wanted to ask her.

"Rei, what was that technique you used back there?"

Rei frowned.

"It was nothing special. Just something I picked up a while ago."

"Hn." Sasuke knew she didn't want to tell him and he wouldn't push her any further.

"We should head back. The others don't know where we are."

"Yeah."

They began to walk back to the inn. They walked in silence. As they got closer Sasuke had an idea.

"Hey, when we get back to Konoha…would you mind…training with me." He turned his face to hide his blush.

Rei smiled.

"Sure."

"Just don't forget like last time." He said smirking.

"Hey, I thought you had forgotten about that."

Sasuke chuckled. On some days she could be really annoying and sometimes he seriously considered tying her up to a tree and gagging her, but on other days she was alright. She was definitely better than Ino and Sakura. He shuddered at the thought. She noticed and smirked.

"Oh, are you thinking of your fanclub again? Does Sasuke-_kun_ miss them?" She said mockingly.

Sasuke's eye twitched and he could feel a headache coming. Today was one of those days in which she annoyed the living hell out of him.

_**End Chapter Ten**_

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**Hope you guys liked it. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. I have a bit of bad news so read the important note. Thanks to ruler of dragons, kawaii uchiha's, tru-viet, and Firefairie93 for reviewing. Please review the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. **

**Important:**** It seems that I should really work on some of my other stories as some of them are close to ending. I have a story on hiatus and I really have to continue with it. To make time for it I have to finish a few of my stories and so the updates for this story will be a bit slower. Now, before you start sending death threats you should know that this doesn't mean long month long waits or anything like that. Now, on with the story**!

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

Rei and Sasuke went back to the inn where the others were waiting for them. The next morning the left for Konoha. Once they were ready and had gathered all of their things they headed back to the village. Rei talked to Naruto on the way back as she didn't feel like dealing with Sakura's jealous glares at the moment. Her plan was to walk with Naruto and talk to him the whole way back, but somehow Sasuke slipped into the conversation. She sighed inwardly. Luckily after a while Naruto began to argue with Sasuke like always and so the attention was drawn off of Rei.

The rest of the way back was spent either trying to ignore the bickering comrades or trying to calm them with death threats which were mostly directed at Naruto (guess who did the threatening). Rei was so happy when they finally got back that she almost cried. Finally, some peace and quiet! Then she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around and felt her hopes shatter into thousands of little pieces.

"It's still early, how about we go train?" Sasuke said.

Rei sighed and tried to hold back the tears. All she wanted was to go home, rest and take a nice hot bath. After traveling with a hyperactive-ramen-loving boy, a moody-I'm-too-good-to-smile jerk, and a pink-haired-boy-chasing-incompetent-kunoichi, and being choked almost to death she thought it was fair to want to rest. Was it too much to ask for a few hours of sleep? She didn't think so, but apparently Sasuke did.

"Fine." She sighed heavily.

Sasuke smirked and they went to the training grounds. Sasuke jumped back and turned to her. He smirked at her from the other side of the field.

"Don't hold back."

"I won't." She said smirking.

"Good, because I won't either."

Rei looked at him expecting him to move soon. Suddenly he vanished from her line of vision. She turned and blocked his attack. There was a lot of force behind the blow he had directed at her and so he managed to push her back a few inches. She threw a punch at him, but he blocked it easily, just like she wanted him to. Now both of his hands were occupied and so she took this chance.

Sasuke sensed someone behind him. He turned his head and saw Rei running towards him ready to attack. He realized that the Rei he was holding was just a clone. He spun around so that the clone received the hit. He caught Rei and smirked.

"Looks like this time I really caught you."

Rei frowned. She tried to kick him, but he jumped back. That was enough. All she wanted was to at least get him away from her so that she could have room to attack. They ran at each other. Sasuke jumped up and threw some shuriken at her. She dodged them easily and jumped to meet Sasuke. She punched him and although Sasuke managed to block the blow the force behind it sent him back down. He hit the ground hard and for a moment she was worried about him. She wondered if she had overdone it. However she knew that he was fine when she saw a ball of fire heading her way. She made some hand signs and sighed.

Sasuke looked over to see if he had hit her with his attack and was amazed to see her unscathed. She was standing surrounded by a wall of wind. She frowned at him and he could see a vein throbbing in her forehead. He gulped and got ready for whatever was next.

"Sasuke, you jerk! What are you trying to do, kill me?!? What if that had hit me?!?"

"Well, that was the point."

She growled and her eye twitched. She charged at him and he could barely see her move. She threw countless blow and somehow he managed to block a most of them, the key word here is most. He had to admit, for a girl, she was strong. He finally found an opening and managed to knock her back with a punch to the stomach. She stumbled back as she was caught off guard. She stood up in time to receive yet another blow. She was thrown back a bit. Now she was mad.

After a while they were scratched, bruised and exhausted. Still neither one of them would admit defeat and so they continued to 'train' until they couldn't move anymore. They laid there panting heavily, each on their own side of the training grounds. Sasuke had to admit, that was one of his best training sessions. If he could only get her angry enough every time he would have to become stronger. At least if he wanted to live through his training.

"So, Sasuke, have you given up yet?" Rei called mockingly from the other side.

Sasuke could hear the exhaustion in her voice. He smirked.

"Why would I give up when I clearly beat you?"

"What?!? Sasuke, you moody bastard! You know I won! But, don't worry I won't tell your fan club if you ask nicely."

Sasuke could hear a bit of laughter in the last sentence.

"Shut up you hot headed brat."

"Who are you calling a brat?!? We're the same age!"

Sasuke chuckled. She really was amusing. He sat up slowly.

"Come on. It's late and we should get something to eat."

"Yeah."

Rei just laid there and Sasuke waited for a moment before speaking.

"Well, aren't you coming?"

"Wait damn it!"

And so Sasuke waited until she spoke.

"Sasuke?"

"What?"

"I can't move."

Sasuke stayed quiet and his eye began to twitch in annoyance. He sighed and stood up. He just knew he would regret talking to this girl.

* * *

"I am really sorry about this." Rei said sheepishly. 

"Just shut up you stupid girl." Sasuke grumbled.

He tried to ignore the looks that were directed their way as he walked through town with Rei on his back. She had exhausted her chakra and so he was forced to carry her to the ramen shop. When they got there he happily dropped her onto a stool. They ordered some food and began to eat.

"Sorry." Rei said again.

"Don't worry."

"But I am sorry."

"Forget about it, okay." He said grumpily.

"But Sasuke-_kun_ I really am awfully sorry. I hope this doesn't prevent me from joining your fan club." She said mockingly.

"Okay, now you're jus trying to annoy me."

Rei snickered and Sasuke sighed.

"You're as bad as Naruto."

"Awww, but you know you _love_ us." She mocked him.

Sasuke choked on his ramen. Rei just looked at him, puzzled.

"Shut up! You have to be the most annoying person I have ever met and that includes Naruto! Stop smiling! What are you laughing at?"

"You're just…so…funny!" She said between laughs.

Sasuke felt like choking her, but restrained himself. He growled at the girl sitting next to him. He slammed some money down on the counter and left. Rei wiped off a tear from her eye once she was done laughing. She finished her ramen and stood up. She took out some money, but the storekeeper stopped her.

"There's no need. The young man that was with you paid already."

Rei looked surprised, but smiled and left. She made a note to thank Sasuke. Maybe she should stop bugging him so much. No, it was too fun. She made a promise to stop bothering him when he stopped being a jerk. She grinned as she knew that was unlikely. Still, she liked to be with him. He was just to easy to annoy.

_**End Chapter Eleven**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and as always review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello People! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to Hatsue Cybanne, Hibiki-chan, ruler of dragons, MistFairie93, JustPlainPeachy, tru-viet, and Lyris88 for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write.**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I am having trouble with my computer and so I will not be able to update for a while. I can still check my e-mails in my PSP and so I can still read the reviews you send me. Sorry about the inconvenience and please be patient. I am still working on my stories and I have written a few chapters. **

**Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

Sasuke arrived at his home and took a shower. He stepped out of the restroom and laid down on his bed to think. He wondered what it was that made him actually wan to talk to that girl. She was so annoying! How could he ever think that she was normal? She was as bad as Naruto. Still, there was something about her that made him want to talk to her. For some reason he felt annoyed when she ignored him or when she spent more time with Naruto. He wondered why, but he supposed that he had gotten to used to getting all of the attention because of his stupid fan club. At least she wasn't as annoying as Sakura.

He stood up and looked around his room. He realized that he hadn't cleaned in a while and so he began to pick up the various objects that were strewn on the floor.

* * *

Rei finally finished unpacking all of her stuff. To be honest she would have finished a while ago, but she had gotten lazy. She sighed and took a shower. When she stepped out she looked at the time and figured that she should make some dinner. She sighed. As much as she hated cooking she knew a shinobi couldn't live of off ramen, but tell that to Naruto. She began to take out the things she would need when she had an idea.

She thought of Sasuke and of how he had paid for her food. She wondered what if he knew how to cook. After all, he lived alone and she wondered what he ate. She decided to cook something for him. Although she was too lazy to cook she was pretty good at it. She finished dinner and headed to Sasuke's house. She grinned on the way there. Sure, she was going to thank him with the food, but going to his house had another important purpose. Entertainment. She would like nothing more than to annoy Sasuke to the brink of insanity.

* * *

Sasuke went to the kitchen and looked through the cabinets looking for something to eat. As he reached for a cup of ramen he heard someone calling him. He sighed as he recognized that irritating voice. He trudged to the door hoping a rogue shinobi would come out and kill him before he had to face that girl. Sadly that didn't happen. He stepped outside and there she was grinning straight at him. He sighed.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home?"

"You're so mean. That's no way to receive a guest."

"Just tell me what you want." He said exasperated.

"Well, I wanted to thank you for the ramen and so I made you dinner."

"You didn't have to do that." He mumbled, looking away.

"I know, but I also know that you were probably going to eat something like ramen."

Sasuke didn't reply and she smirked knowing she had guessed right. Sasuke stepped inside and left the door open so Rei could enter. She walked in and followed Sasuke to the kitchen. Rei took out the food and set it on the table.

"Hope you like it. I'm not the best cook ever, but it's edible."

Sasuke sighed and picked up his chopsticks knowing that she wouldn't leave him alone until he tried the food. He reluctantly picked up some food and guided it to his mouth.

'_Look on the bright side, it might be poisoned.'_ He thought.

He chewed the food carefully and found that it was good. He looked at Rei a bit surprised that she could actually cook. She smirked.

"What, you thought I couldn't cook?"

Sasuke looked away. He looked down at the food and then back up at Rei.

"What about you have you had dinner yet?"

"Well, no I wanted to bring you some food before it got cold."

Sasuke sighed and pushed the food towards her.

"Eat."

"But I-"

"Just eat, you stupid girl."

Rei sighed and began eating with Sasuke.

As they ate Sasuke thought back to their training. He thought about the jutsu that Rei had used to lock his fire attack. He knew that it wasn't from Kirigakure and it certainly wasn't from Konoha, so then, where had she learned it? She was stronger than she seemed and he began to wonder if maybe she was hiding something. He wondered how strong she really was. He looked up at her and saw her eating messily. He sighed. How could someone so clumsy and annoying be so strong?

"What's wrong Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked up at her and decided that he had to know.

"During our training what was that technique you used to block my attack?"

Rei looked at Sasuke for a moment and sighed. She put down her food and looked down at it thinking of what to say.

"You're not going to stop bothering me if I don't tell you, huh?"

"No."

Rei sighed.

"The technique I used is very special. My father is the one who showed me how to use it."

"But, if your father was from Konoha, then why haven't I ever seen that jutsu before?"

"That jutsu isn't known to many people. In fact I may be the only one that can use it."

"Why?"

"Sasuke, I really shouldn't tell you. I said enough already." Rei said exasperated.

"No, I want to know more. What are you hiding?" Sasuke said suspiciously.

"Sasuke, I can't tell you."

"Why? Did Kakashi tell you not to say anything?"

"No, it's not Kakashi, it's the Hokage. I don't want to cause any trouble."

"Rei, tell me what you're hiding." Sasuke demanded.

Rei looked at Sasuke and knew that she was defeated.

"You just don't give up do you?"

Sasuke smirked.

"I'll tell you a bit more, but just a bit. Don't tell Kakashi I told you."

Sasuke nodded and Rei sighed. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to visit Sasuke.

"I guess you can say that the reason I can use some very unique jutsu is because I have some rather unique abilities."

"What do you mean?"

"My father was from a powerful clan. Unfortunately most of the clan died out during the battle with the Kyuubi. After that my father decided to go to Kirigakure. My mother's family lived there after all. We were happy there and my father used to teach me the jutsu from Konoha and his clan. Apparently the Hatori clan had a Kekkei Genkai and so I have it too. Wirth it comes a series of special techniques. The one I used against your attack was one of them."

"So, you have a Kekkei Genkai?" Sasuke said, shocked.

Rei nodded.

"And what is this Kekkei Genkai you posses?"

"It doesn't matter."

Sasuke saw that she didn't want to tell him and didn't pressure her.

"Wait, if you were so happy in Kirigakure why did you come to Konoha?"

Rei looked way and stood up.

"It's late, I should get back home."

Sasuke knew she wouldn't tell him and so he just nodded and stood up.

"If you want I can walk you home." Sasuke mumbled while looking away.

Rei smiled as she saw a faint blush cross Sasuke's face. She knew that he was trying to be nice to make up for making her tell him about her past. She had to give him credit for trying. She knew that it wasn't easy for Sasuke to be nice. She shook her head.

"No, that's alright."

Sasuke walked with her to the door. She stepped outside and turned back smirking.

"Goodnight, Sauke-_Kun_." She said mockingly.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and his eye began to twitch. Still, he managed to smirk at her.

"Goodnight, you brat."

Rei stuck out her tongue and left. Sasuke chuckled at how immature she was. He was starting to get used to her annoying nature and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He supposed he would have to learn to put up with her if he wanted to keep his sanity.

* * *

Rei walked through the dark streets of Konoha. It was later that she had thought and here wasn't anyone around. She sighed. She hated it when the streets were too quiet, it unnerved her. As she walked she had an uneasy feeling, like someone was watching her. She quickened her pace and remained alert. As she walked she saw someone in front of her. She tensed and readied a kunai. As she got closer to the person she was relieved to see who it was.

"Rei-chan, what are you doing out so late?"

"I could say the same to you, Naruto-kun."

"Well, I was just heading home from the ramen shop. What bout you?"

"I had some things to do. I didn't expect it would take so long."

"I can walk with you if you want." Naruto said, blushing slightly.

Rei smiled.

"I would like that."

They began to walk, but Rei still had that uneasy feeling. She tried to remain calm. At least now she was with Naruto.

'_Maybe I should have let Sasuke walk me home.'_ She thought.

She eased up a bit after a while of walking. Nothing had happened so far and Naruto was as cheerful as ever. She laughed at his jokes and soon she was close to her home. She couldn't help but let out a sight of relief when she saw she was almost home.

"Rei-chan, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Naruto. I just-"

Rei didn't have time to finish what she had to say because at that moment two shinobi appeared. One of them knocked Rei out before she had time to react while the other punched Naruto, sending him back. Before Naruto could stand up they were gone. He looked around or Rei, but she was gone too.

* * *

Sasuke stood with his team in the Hokage's office. He had been called a while after Rei had left. He looked around and wondered where she was.

'_She'll probably be late.' _He thought.

The Hokage arrived and turned to look at them.

"I have a very important mission for you. Your mission is to get back Rei Hatori from the rogue shinobi that took her tonight."

Sauke froze. She had been taken away? How could tat happen? He was so surprised that he didn't hear the rest of what the Hokage had to say. He felt a sudden wave of anger surging through his body. He felt guilty for not taking her back home and worried of what could happen to her. He looked up at the Hokage.

"Who took her?" He said fiercely.

The others turned to look at him.

"We don't know yet. The only witness we have is Naruto and he didn't see the attackers clearly."

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto. He frowned. He couldn't believe he had let them take her. He tried to stay calm. He couldn't let his emotions take over. He had to remain calm if he wanted to get her back.

"We're not sure of where they are taking her or why they took her, so you must hurry. You are to apprehend the men that captured her and ring them back here for questioning, now go."

They left the Hokage's office and soon they were running through the woods. Sasuke still couldn't believe that they had taken her.

As he ran he found himself hoping that they could find her soon and he that she would be fine. When he realized how worried he was he frowned and wondered why he cared so much. She was just an annoying girl. Still, she was his friend and she wasn't really that annoying. She was definitely better than Sakura. She was nice and strong and determined. She understood him and gave him space while keeping him company. She was one of his best friends and he wouldn't let anything happen to her. He would defeat the men that had taken her and take her back to Konoha. He swore he would save her and he wouldn't let anything happen to her. He was surprised at his own noble thoughts and made a note to not let her know about his little promise. He knew if she found out he would never hear the end of it. He smirked as he thought of how childish she could be and found himself wishing she was there to annoy the hell out of him. He would get her back even if it meant that he would have to put up with her and her annoying habits.

_**End Chapter Twelve**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for taking so long. Please be patient. I will keep writing, but I don't know when I will be able to update. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Reviews make me happy so I would really appreciate them. Sayonara!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. You guys are lucky I managed to find a way to update so soon. After this it might be a while until my next update so enjoy. Anyways, thanks to larrycucumber2, ruler of dragons, blacksinger, Hibiki-chan, Lyris88, and Hatsue Cybanne for reviewing. As always, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirtee**n

Rei woke up and blinked several times as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. She groaned as her head and neck hurt badly. She tried to move her hand towards her head, but found that she couldn't. She looked around and saw that she was in the forest. She couldn't move her feet or hands as they were tied up. She found that she was tied to a tree. She was confused and then she remembered being taken away while she was walking home with Naruto. After she realized what was happening she became alert and tried to locate whoever it was that was holding her captive. Soon she sensed someone approaching.

Three figures emerged from among the trees. Two of them were men and one was a woman. She saw that all of them wore headbands from the Village Hidden in the Mist. She frowned. She suspected what these people were after.

"So, you're awake, good. Now we can keep moving." The woman said.

One of the men walked up to Rei and picked her up. He swung her over his shoulder. Rei tried to get free, but it was useless. Then she had an idea. If they were leaving then it would be harder for someone to find them and help her. She had to distract them for a while so that if someone was out looking for them they would be able to get closer. She looked at the woman.

"Who are you?"

"That is none of your concern girl."

"Maybe it's not, but I would like to know the name of the old hag that kidnapped me." Rei said.

The woman turned around and glared at Rei. Rei just smirked at her lad that she had gotten her attention. Maybe if she managed to get under her skin she wouldn't notice if someone approached them. That would make it easier for someone to make a surprise attack and help her.

"What did you call me you brat!?!"

"I said you're an old hag. What, are you so old you're deaf?" Rei smirked.

The woman looked furious. She bean to walk over to Rei, but one of the men stopped her.

"Calm down Shiwa."

Rei began to laugh. She looked at the woman.

"Your…name…is…Shiwa!?!" She said between laughs.

The woman glared at the girl.

"Shiwa…as in…wrinkle!?!"

Rei could see a vein throbbing on her forehead. She smirked.

"So, grandma, what do you want me for?"

"Shut up you brat!"

"You know, you're mean for an old lady."

A kunai scratched Rei's cheek, but she remained calm. Shiwa smiled wickedly.

"You know, you really shouldn't mess with a rogue shinobi when you are being held captive. Bad things could happen to you."

"Really? Then how would you explain to the person that sent you to get me the bad things that you would do? I don't think that they would be too happy to see me dead or seriously injured, at least not until they got what they wanted."

Shiwa just glared at Rei as she smirked. She had an advantage over her captors as she had an idea as to why they had taken her. They had obviously thought that she was not informed of why they wanted her, but it was their bad luck that it wasn't so.

"Shut up. Don't act as if you know what we want."

"If you are so confident that I don't know your purposes why don't you tell me?"

Shiwa scowled and turned away.

"Let's go, we should hurry we already took too long thanks to the brat's whining."

The men followed her as she jumped from branch to branch. They moved quickly and Rei hoped that she had stalled them long enough.

* * *

Team Seven traveled through the forest as fast as they could. After a while they finally sensed the chakra of their enemies. They could also sense Rei and they sped up to catch up to them. Sasuke was anxious to get Rei back. He felt a bit guilty for not taking her back home. It was because of him that she had been out so late anyway. If he hadn't asked her all of those questions about her past she wouldn't have been out so late. He sighed. There really was no point in blaming himself now. He would just have to get her back.

* * *

Rei was still traveling through the forest with her captors. She closed her eyes and tried to see if anyone was following them. After a while she finally sensed someone. She recognized the chackra as that of her team. She could tell that they weren't too far and she was glad, but she had to find a way to help them get nearer. If she had noticed them the enemies would certainly be able to sense them too. Rei was thinking of a way to help when they stopped.

"It seems that we are being followed. Shogai, stay here and stall them."

The man nodded and Shiwa took off again followed by the man carrying Rei. She hoped that her teammates would be able to defeat Shogai.

* * *

Team Seven continued to travel trough he forest. Suddenly Kakashi stopped and the others saw why. In front of them stood a man with a headband from the Village Hidden in the Mist. Sasuke glared at the man.

"Where is Rei-chan?" Naruto exclaimed.

"That doesn't matter now as you will die here."

Shogai threw some kunai at them and they dodged them easily. Some of them were lodged into the trees. Kakashi looked at them and back at his team.

"Quick, get back!"

They managed to take cover before the tags on the kunai exploded. Shogai charged at Kakashi and punched him. However, Kakashi had used the substitution jutsu and so a log appeared in his place. He appeared behind Shogai and kicked him back into some trees. He turned to the others.

"You guys go after Rei. I'll take care of this guy and catch up soon."

They got up and left before Shogai could stop them. Kakashi hated leaving them to deal with dangerous shinobi, but he had no choice. If they stayed with him they would lose Rei and he was confident in their abilities.

* * *

Rei could hear a battle being fought in the distance and she hoped the others were fine. She sighed and tried to see if she could pick up any traces of their chakra. Soon she sensed Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura behind them. She smirked. They stopped once again and she could see that Shiwa was frowning.

"It looks like someone thinks you're worth pursuing." She said.

"Sadly I can't say the same of you." Rei said smirking.

Shiwa scowled at her. Suddenly the others emerged from the trees. Rei smiled when she saw them. Then she heard Shiwa laughing. She turned to look at her, wondering what was so funny. The woman looked at her in return with a wicked smile.

"It seems that not even your village wants you. They sent a bunch of brats to get you instead of real shinobi."

Rei scowled at her.

"Let her go!" Naruto said.

"Sorry brat, but if you want her you'll have to come and get her from us."

Naruto growled and took out a kunai. He charged at them. The man holding Rei dropped her on the ground and blocked Naruto's attack. He punched him and sent him back. He turned to Shiwa.

"Take the girl and leave. I'll take care of them."

Shiwa turned to Rei and picked her up. She left with her. Sasuke watched as she left and turned to Naruto. Naruto looked at him and stood up.

"Sasuke, go after her. I'll take care of this guy."

Sasuke nodded. He knew tat Naruto still felt guilty for letting them take Rei. This was his way of saying he was sorry and redeeming himself. Sasuke took of after telling Sakura to stay with Naruto and help him.

* * *

Shiwa ran with Rei slung over her shoulder. She sensed Sasuke following them and frowned. She was getting annoyed by now. She stopped and dropped Rei roughly on the ground.

"It seems your friends are very persistent. No matter, they're going to die anyway."

Rei growled. Shiwa took out a kunai and pulled Rei up. Sasuke emerged and saw shiwa holding a kunai up to Rei's throat.

"Let her go." He said venomously.

Shiwa chuckled.

"I don't think you should be demanding such things. After all, if you make one bad move your friend will die."

Rei tried to speak and tell Sasuke that she wouldn't kill her, but Shiwa covered her mouth with her hand and pressed the kunai closer to her throat. Sasuke growled. He tried to think of a way to get Rei free without hurting her, but it was too risky. Shiwa looked at him and smirked. She knew that he wouldn't attack in fear of what she would do to the girl. She failed to notice that Rei had managed to take one of the shuriken from her shuriken holster. However, Sasuke noticed.

Sasuke looked at Rei and he could see in her eyes that she wanted him to attack. She as confident in herself and she trusted him to help her. He wouldn't let her down. Rei worked on cutting the ropes on her wrists. She saw Sasuke taking out a kunai. Shiwa tensed. She couldn't believe that he would risk the life of his friend.

"You idiot, don't you care about her? If you try anything I'll cut her throat."

"Why should I care? She's just an annoying girl."

Sasuke smirked and threw the kunai. Rei managed to cut the rope and get away in time. Shiwa dodged the kunai, but it scratched her arm. Rei ran over to Sasuke.

"About time." She said.

"Shut up you stupid girl." He said smirking.

Shiwa got up from the round. She looked at Rei and Sasuke with fury in her eyes. Sasuke stood in front of Rei protectively.

"You brat! How dare you!"

Shiwa took out some shuriken and threw them at Rei and Sasuke. Sasuke took out his windmill shuriken and blocked all of the shuriken with it. The shuriken flew towards Shiwa and she dodged it. Sasuke appeared behind her and tried to hit her. She blocked his punch and kicked him He spun in the air and regained his balance, but not before Shiwa managed to punch him sending him back. Sasuke hit the ground hard and Shiwa ran at him with a kunai. She stopped and turned in time to block some shuriken Rei had thrown.

Rei chared at her and tried to punch her, but she blocked all of her hits. She jumped back and made some hand signs. She landed and turned to look at Shiwa as she charged at her.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

Shiwa dodged most of the fire, but she received a few burns. She charged at Rei, who blocked her punches. She finally managed to hit her and then slashed at her with a kunai. Rei jumped back, but received a large cut on her side. She winced and held her cut as she crouched on the ground. Shiwa smirked and approached her. Rei stood up shakily and took out a kunai to defend herself. Luckily she didn't have to as Sasuke appeared in front of Shiwa and kicked her. He punched her and sent her back into a tree. He threw some kunai that dug into her arms and clothing. She was stuck and she growled at Sasuke. Sasuke walked up to her and tied her up. He then went over to where Rei was sitting on the ground.

Rei looked up at him and grinned. Sasuke sighed and knelt next to her. He looked at her injury and frowned.

"You idiot. You should have stayed out of the fight."

"Geez Sasuke, yes, I'm fine thanks for asking."

Sasuke scowled.

"Come on, you brat, we have to get the others."

He helped her up and she flinched at the pain in her side. Sasuke sighed and picked her up.

"Hey."

"Shut up. It'll be faster this way. Besides I don't want to hear you whining about how much your cut hurts."

Rei frowned.

"Did anyone ever tell you how nice you are?" She said sarcastically.

Sasuke smirked. Soon they ran into the others. They had managed to defeat the other shinobi and so they headed back to the village. Rei was taken to the hospital to get her wound treated, but she was released afterwards. Sasuke walked her home as he still felt guilty.

As they walked Rei thought about the events of that day. She recalled how angry Sasuke had seemed and wondered why. Was he really that worried about her? Did he really care? She glanced at him and sighed. Sasuke would never care about her that much. Sure they got along well, but that didn't mean he cared. Sasuke stopped and looked at her.

"What's wrong?" He said tonelessly.

"Nothing, just thinking."

"About what?"

"Well you're quite the nosy one aren't you?"

Sasuke frowned and turned to look away. He mumbled something that Rei couldn't hear.

"What was that?"

"I said. Stupid girl." He said.

"Shut up you moody jerk."

"Make me you brat!"

"You stupid nag!"

"Incompetent kunoichi!"

"Arrogant bastard!"

"Idiotic girl!"

"Fire breathing asshole!"

"Whiny bitch!"

Rei growled and jumped on Sasuke. He caught her wrists and tried to hold her back, but she kept struggling. They lost their balance and fell. Sasuke landed on top of her. He found himself staring into her sapphire eyes. He had never seen eyes that bright before. He could see the shock in them and then he realized how close they were. He got off of her hastily and sat on the ground. He looked away and could feel his face burning. Rei sat up and didn't look at Sasuke. She knew that she was blushing because she could feel her face growing hot, but she didn't know why. Why was she blushing? For God's sake it was Sasuke! He was one of the most arrogant people she had ever met! Suddenly a hand appeared in front of her. She looked up to see Sasuke holding out his hand to her.

"Come on, I better get you home."

"You don't have to do that you know. I can get home by myself." She said looking away.

"Yeah, well, I would fell better if I knew you got there safely."

Rei looked up at him and saw him looking away. She smirked and took his hand. He helped her up and they began to walk. She smirked and turned to Sasuke.

"Oh, Sasuke-_kun_ I didn't know you cared!" She said and hung onto his arm.

Sasuke pulled his arm away from her.

"Get off!"

Rei burst out laughing.

"You really are hilarious, even if you're a moody jerk." She smirked and walked ahead of him.

Sasuke smiled and followed her. He was glad to have her back, even if she was annoying. Of course, he would never tell her that. That would be like telling one of his fan girls she looked nice. To put it simply it was like suicide.

End Chapter Thirteen

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**Hope you guys liked it. Shiwa means wrinkle in Japanese and I thought it would be funny. Usually my characters have common Japanese words as names, so pick up those books and start figuring out who means what. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. You guys are lucky my friend was nice enough to let me borrow her laptop and I'm sick enough to stay home. Anyways, thanks to ruler of dragons, MistFairie93, Hibiki-chan, lovefatedestiny, rebelangel313, and Hatsue Cybanne for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

Sasuke sighed as he looked down at the sleeping girl. He looked around the room for something to wake her up, but found nothing. He walked to the kitchen and filled a bucket with ice-cold water. He walked back to the bedroom and smirked. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep. It almost made him not pour the water on her. Almost.

SPLASH

Rei fell out of her bed and reached for a kunai from her dresser. She stood up soaked and with a kunai in her hand. She looked around and growled when she saw Sasuke sitting by her desk with an empty bucket by his feet. He chuckled and she threw the kunai at him, but he dodged it easily.

"Good morning to you too, brat." He said mockingly.

Sasuke, you arrogant fire breathing moody asshole! Why the hell did you do that?!?"

"You were supposed to meet me at the ramen shop an hour ago. You were late so I decided to come and wake you up." He said calmly.

Rei glared at him and Sasuke just looked at her with a smirk plastered on his smug face.

"You should change your clothes before you catch a cold."

Rei stuck her tongue out at Sasuke and trudged to the restroom. She slammed the door shut and Sasuke just chuckled and shook his head. She could really be amusing sometimes.

Rei removed her clothes and entered the shower. She sighed as the warm water hit her cold skin. She snickered as she was already plotting her revenge. Sasuke would pay.

Meanwhile Sasuke was in the kitchen making Rei something to eat. They were late for training and he knew that Rei would skip breakfast saying that she wasn't hungry although she only said that out of guilt for wasting time. He knew how that would end up. She would exhaust her chakra during training and he would have to carry her to the nearest food stand. He sighed. Sometimes dealing with Rei was like dealing with a child. Still, he knew that he liked having her around, even if he would never admit it.

He sighed wondering when he had gotten so close to the girl. He supposed it had happened gradually, although he had realized it two weeks ago when she had been kidnapped. Since then they had spent more time together. They trained together and sometimes Rei would visit him at his house. Now he would just walk into her house like it was his own, although that only happened after Rei had gotten into the annoying habit of barging into his house. He still remembered the first time that had happened.

* * *

**Flashback**

_Sasuke stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. He walked to his dresser to get his clothes when he sensed someone in his house. He slipped into his boxers and took out a kunai. Getting fully dressed could wait, his top priority was seeing who was in his house._

_Sasuke stepped out into the hallway. He looked around and then he heard someone in the kitchen. He approached the kitchen cautiously. When he stepped inside he was blinded by several bright flashes of light. When his eyes adjusted and he saw where the flash had come from he felt nothing but pure anger. He saw Rei standing in the middle of his kitchen with a camera in her hands. She grinned and looked at him before laughing._

_Sasuke looked down and realized that he was only wearing his boxers. He felt his face grow hot from both anger and embarrassment. To make things worst Rei held up several pictures of him in his underwear with a stunned expression and a kunai in his hand._

"_Hey, Sasuke-_kun, _I bet your fanclub will _love_ to see these."_

_As soon as she said that she ran out of the house as fast as she could. She was almost out of the Uchiha District when she heard Sasuke screaming at her. She looked back and saw that Sasuke was fully dressed, although his clothes were rather messy. _

"_REI!!! GET BACK HERE YOU BRAT!!!"_

_The chase went on for hours. Sasuke only managed to catch because she had gotten overconfident and had stopped at the ramen shop._

**End Flashback**

* * *

Sasuke smirked as he recalled the way he had gotten back at her. He sensed Rei entering the kitchen and turned around with a plate in his hands. He placed the plate on the table. Rei looked at the food and then up at Sasuke.

"Sasuke, you didn't have to make me breakfast."

"Shut up and eat you stupid girl. I don't want to have to carry you through town again after you collapse from hunger."

Rei blushed and sat down. She hated it when Sasuke had to help her. When she was done eating they left to go train. They arrived at the training grounds and trined until they were exhausted. By now it was their routine. Sasuke would wake Rei, they would train, they would eat and then Rei would annoy Sasuke until he couldn't take it anymore and left. It was the last part that Sasuke dreaded the most. No matter how hard he tried he could not hold a decent conversation with Rei without one of them annoying the other. He blamed her, but he had to admit, sometimes he could be pretty aggravating as well.

Sometimes he wondered why he even put up with Rei in the first place. She was annoying, stubborn, and clumsy, but for some reason he found that he felt strange without her. He felt bored and…weird. It was like he was missing something, but he didn't know why he felt that way. He supposed he had just gotten used to her company.

He sighed as they walked to Icharaku ramen. He had found out that although she liked to eat healthy her lazyness caused her to resort to eating out often. Thanks to Naruto's influence she had also become addicted to ramen. She now ate it almost as much as Naruto.

They arrived at the shop and ordered. As they waited for their food Sasuke turned to Rei. He had suddenly remembered that she had never told him why she had been kidnapped two weeks ago. He had asked her, but she had refused to answer. He hoped that she would tell him something this time.

"Rei."

"What?"

"You never told me what those shinobi wanted. Why did they take you away?"

Rei looked at him and frowned.

"Not now, Sasuke."

"And when will you tell me, then?"

"Sasuke, there's things I can't tell you just like there's things you can't tell me, okay."

"Hn."

They got their food and ate in silence. Sasuke wondered why she got so upset when he asked about her. All he really knew about her was that her mother was from Kirigakure and her father was from Konoha. She had grown up in Kirigakure and she possessed a Kekkei Genkai. The rest was a mystery. He was unnerved by the fact that she was hiding something. He hated not knowing things, but for some reason he felt worst knowing that it was Rei that was hiding something from him. He sighed and continued eating.

* * *

Rei glanced at Sasuke and felt bad for hiding her past from him, but she knew that she really shouldn't tell him. The Hokage himself had asked her not to say anything. The main reason she didn't tell anyone anything was because she was scared that something could happen to them. She cared too much about her friends and she liked her new home. She was determined to lead a normal life and put her past behind. Still, sometimes she wished she could tell Sasuke, although she didn't know why he was so curious about her past.

* * *

Once they finished their food Sasuke walked Rei home like always, but he was still determined to get some information out of her.

"So, are you going to tell me why you were taken by those shinobi?"

"Sasuke, please, can't you just forget about it?"

"No."

"Why do you care anyway? It's not like it concerns you."

"I don't care, I just want to know out of curiosity."

"Yeah, that's what you always say." Rei mumbled.

Sasuke frowned. He was getting annoyed at her for keeping stuff hidden, but then he reminded himself that he shouldn't really care.

"You're right, why should I care what happens to a whiny brat." He said moodily and walked ahead.

"They can take you away again for all I care. It's not like they'll do me any harm. They would just be doing me a favor by getting rid of you for me."

Rei stopped and looked at him, surprised. Sasuke stopped and turned to look at her. When he realized that he shouldn't have said those things it was too late. She punched him and walked away. Sasuke stood there for a while thinking about what had just happened. For the second time since he had met her he felt bad for what he had said. He knew he had to apologize, but he really didn't want to talk to her at that moment. He knew it was like suicide. He sighed and followed her. He knew he had no choice. It was either apologize or be ignored and have Sakura follow him around.

* * *

Rei laid on her bed after having changed her dirty clothes she had trained in. She sighed as she looked up at the ceiling. She sighed and turned on her side. She thought of what Sasuke had said and frowned. She knew he had said those things because he was upset with her for not telling him anything, but she couldn't help but think that maybe he had meant it. Maybe he really did want to get rid of her. Maybe he really thought he would be better off without her. She didn't want to admit it, but the thought of him not wanting to have her around hurt. He was like a brother to her and although she would rather die a bloody death by the hands of a rogue shinobi than admit it she loved him like such. She sighed and closed her eyes. Maybe some sleep would help her mood.

As she was about to fall asleep she heard someone calling out her name. She groaned when she recognized who it was. She ignored him and tried to sleep, but it was useless. After a while she heard footsteps followed by a door opening. She kept her eyes closed hoping that if he thought she was asleep he would go away.

"I know you're not sleeping, so unless you want another bucket of cold water poured on you I suggest you get up."

She groaned, but complied. She sat up and saw Sasuke standing in the doorway. She frowned and looked away.

"What do you want?"

Sasuke sighed and looked away.

"I'm sorry, okay."

Rei turned to look at him, but she still looked upset.

"No, you're not."

Sasuke turned to look at her. He was a bit surprised at her response and at how serious she looked. He was used to always seeing her in a good mood.

"Yes, I am. Even if you are annoying like hell and you never want to tell me anything, I shouldn't have said all those things."

Rei didn't respond and Sasuke turned to leave thinking it was useless. He walked outside, but stopped when he felt someone grab his arm. He turned and saw Rei looking at him.

"Sasuke, did you mean what you said?"

Sasuke looked at her for a moment before smirking.

"Stupid girl, do you really think I would mean that after saving you from rogue shinobi?"

Rei smiled and hugged Sasuke. Sasuke was shocked at this show of affection and was really at a loss of what to do. Without any options he just stood there with Rei hanging onto him. Then it occurred to him to ask her why she cared so much. He swore if he had gained another fangirl he would kill himself.

"Rei, why do you care so much about what I think?"

"Because I love you."

Sasuke froze.

"You're like a big brother to me and even though I like to annoy you I just want to be your friend."

Sasuke sighed in relief. He let out the breath that he had been holding and he felt his brain beginning to work again. Then as he processed what she had just said he felt something strange inside. He felt bad, but he didn't know why. He gently pushed Rei off of him and saw her turn to him smiling.

"Well, I guess you should leave. After all, you shouldn't keep you fangirls waiting." She said mockingly.

Sasuke smirked once he had regained his composure.

"Yeah, goodnight, brat."

"Goodnight, Sasuke-_kun_." She mocked.

Sasuke left and as he walked home he tried to figure out why he had felt so strange when she had said he was like a brother to her. Why had he apologized and let her hug him? Why had he cared so much about how she felt? He felt his head beginning to hurt as he was confused by his own actions. He had never felt like this about anyone before. She annoyed him, but he liked her company, She was immature, but he valued her opinion. She had hugged him, and he had permitted it! He sighed.

Then it something occurred to him that made him stop in his tracks. He felt his blood freeze and his heart stop. Could it be that he had feelings for Rei? Not since the massacre of his clan had Sasuke felt so scared. He thought about the way he acted around her and tried to deny having feelings for her, but he couldn't fool himself. He was actually starting to feel something towards Rei and it scared him. He didn't want to feel any affection towards her. He could stand being friends with her, but anything beyond that was too much. He tried to think of a way to explain everything that had happened, but couldn't. Then he began to see the truth.

Sasuke thought back to the way he had felt when he had first talked to her. He had felt intrigued by how different she was and once they had gotten to know each other he had found he enjoyed her company. He thought about how angry he felt whenever she was in danger and how he couldn't help but smirk when he saw her. Then he thought about how he felt when she had hugged him. He had felt…good. He shook his head, refusing to believe it.

'_Calm down Sasuke, maybe you're just tired.' _He thought.

He went home to get some sleep hoping that when he woke up he would be his old emotionless self again.

**_End Chapter Fourteen_**

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**Hope you guys liked it. Sorry if it seems rushed, but I'm at a time limit here. Please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. I'm sick and reviews would really help me feel better.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. The chapters have been loner lately because I had time to write them over the week and I type them on the weekend, so you can look forward to longer chapters for a while. Anyways, thanks to larrycucumber2, bunnie booo from runey, 16estrellas, MistFairie93, tru-viet, rebelangel313, ruler of dragons, Lyris88, and AkatsukiUchihaItachi for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei. **

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

Sasuke sighed as he walked to the training grounds. He knew he had a mission with the others, but he was still a bit nervous about facing rei.The previous night was still fresh in his mind and he still had no idea of what his true feelings were. He had hardly slept as he had spent the night trying to find something, anything that could prove that he felt nothing but friendship towards her. Unfortunately, he had only succeeded in finding more proof of his growing affection towards Rei.  
In reality he had no problem with Rei. Se was nice, smart, funny, strong and, as he liked to put it, aesthetically pleasing. No, he had no problem with her, he enjoyed her company and had a clear idea of why he liked her so much. The problem lay in himself, his upbringing, and her opinion of him.  
Because of his past experiences he was rather reluctant to show his feelings to others. He felt that it would expose him and make him weak. Another problem directly connected with his past was his fear of losing a loved one. He was afraid that if he became too attached to someone he would end up losing them like he lost his family. Ever since his clan's massacre it had been hard for him to be himself and trust others. He didn't know if he could either love or trust Rei and if he couldn't he didn't want to hurt her.

Rei was one of his best friends and he liked spending time with her, but he wasn't sure of how she felt about him. He kept thinking of what she had said the night before.

'_You're like a brother to me….'_

Every time he thought about that he felt strange. He felt a sharp pain in his chest and he didn't know why. In truth he disliked the idea of her seeing him as her brother. Did that mean that he wanted to be something other than a friend or a brotherly figure? He sighed. He knew he would have to tell her how he felt. Maybe she would be able to help him sort out his stupid feelings. Still, he didn't want to tell him in fear of what she might say. He sighed as he saw his team in the training field, Kakashi was till not there. Damn him, now he would have to wait for hours with Rei. He saw Rei turn and look at him. She smiled and waved eagerly at him. He smirked and knew that he would have to keep his feelings to himself, at least until he was able to sort them out. He didn't want to lose one of his best friends because of his inability to deal with his emotions.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said eagerly.

"Hn." He said as he walked past her.

Naruto glared at him and he glared back. It was like their daily routine. He heard Rei sigh in exasperation. It always irked her when he argued with Naruto. He looked at her and smirked.

"Good morning, brat."

"Good morning, jerk." She said grinning.

Sakura glared wondering why Sasuke didn't pay attention to her, but always paid attention to Rei. She couldn't help but envy her as she had been able to get close to Sasuke in such a short amount of time when she had been trying for years.

"So, what kind of lame excuse do you guys think Kakashi-sensei will come up with today?" Rei said.

"I'd rather not think about it." Sasuke responded.

"All I know is our mission better be good!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah, he's been giving us nothing but boring missions." Rei said, bored.

Sasuke glanced at Rei just as she yawned.

"Didn't get enough sleep?"

"I had a rough night." She said distractedly.

"What happened, Rei-chan?" Naruto asked.

"It doesn't matter."

As she said this Sasuke noticed that she seemed unease, He sighed. She was obviously hiding something. Still he knew better than to try to make her talk. He shuddered at the thought of what had happened the last time. Rei noticed this and raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong Sasuke?"

"Nothing."

Rei didn't really believe him, but she didn't argue. They waited for a long time for Kakashi to show up.

"Hello." He said.

"You're late!!!" Everyone but Sasuke yelled.

"Yes, well on my way here an old woman-"

"Liar!!!" They yelled again.

Kakashi sweatdropped and then cleared his throat and composed himself.

"Anyways, our next mission is a C-rank mission. We are to escort a group of merchants to Kirigakure."

Sasuke glanced at Rei from the corner of his eye and saw her tense at the mention of her previous home. He wondered what it was that she was hiding. Then he wondered if he would be able to find out anything about her during the mission. Maybe they would run into her family. He tried to picture how she would deal with that. Then it occurred to him that maybe she didn't have any family. After all, why would she have left her family to go to a town where she didn't know anyone? His thoughts were interrupted by Kakashi.

"We'll leave at noon when the clients are ready. You have until then to get ready. You are dismissed."

With that he was gone in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind two disgruntled and sleep deprived blond shinobi who wasted no time in complaining about how useless it was for them to wait for hours for a five minute chat with their sensei. They were soon interrupted by Sasuke, as he attempted to get Rei's attention in an unusually polite way. However, when that failed he was forced to resort to his usual method.

"Rei. You stupid brat, pay attention." He said irritably.

"What the hell do you want you jerk?!?"

"Well, I would love to go back in time and kill myself right before I meet you, but for now I would like to get some breakfast." He said. Smirking.

"Alright, but I want ramen!"

"Fine, but I'm paying." He said calmly.

Sasuke began to walk away and Rei followed him.

"I don't need you to pay for my food."

"I don't care."

"You're an idiot."

"Good."

Rei sighed and gave up. There really was no use in arguing with Sasuke. She yawned and Sasuke noticed.

"What's wrong? It's not like you to feel so tired. Is training with me really that hard?"

Rei noticed the smugness in his voice and stuck out her tongue. However, she didn't answer him.

"Well, what's wrong?" He asked again.

"Oh, were you being serious? I thought you were just being full of yourself again." She said smirking.

"Shut up and answer the question." He said annoyed.

"Well, I can't do both. Make up your mind. Do you want me to shut up or answer?"

"Just answer the question." He sighed.

"It doesn't matter."

She walked faster and Sasuke sighed before catching up to her. They arrived at the ramen shop and ordered. As they ate Sasuke noticed that Rei was unusually quiet. He wondered if she was upset and shuddered at the thought of having to cheer her up. Still, he knew if he didn't want to o on a hellish mission with a pissed off Rei he would have to do something. They finished eating and Sasuke paid.

"You didn't have to pay." Rei complained.

"It doesn't matter to me and why do you care?"

He turned to look at her in time to see a faint blush spread through her face.

"I don't."

"Hn."

"Well, I jut don't want you to waste your money on me."

Sasuke looked at her in disbelief.

"Rei, you stupid girl, I don't care about money. In case you haven't noticed I have no reason to worry about monetary problems. When my family died I was left with more than enough money. It's not like I can spend all of it. And don't say you're a waste of money."

"Fine."

Sasuke looked at her and saw that she looked unusually serious. He knew it was because of the mission and wondered if he would be able to get her to tell him anything.

"So, what do you think of the mission?"

"It sounds boring."

"Then it doesn't matter to you that it's in your old village?"

"No, I would rather not go, but I guess it can't be helped."

"Don't' you want to see your old home?"

"To tell you the truth I don' care much about it."

"What about your family?"

"What family?"

"Your mother's family."

"They're dead." She said bluntly.

Sasuke stayed quiet for a while.

"I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter to me. Now, hurry up."

They kept walking, but Sasuke kept thinking of what she had just said. How could she be so uncaring about the fact that she had no family? Then he realized that she was the last of her clan, both clans in fact. Deep inside he felt sorry for her and he now understood what she had said the previous night. He was like a brother to her and the closest thing she had to a family. He realized that the same was true for him. She was also the closest thing he had to a family. He found that he cared about her deeply and he would do anything to keep her safe.

The arrived at her home and Rei gathered everything she needed while Sasuke watched. She picked something up and tried to put it away before Sasuke could see what it was, but she failed. It was her headband from Kirigakure.

"Why do you need that?"

"It could come in handy."

Sasuke knew she didn't want to tell him and he didn't push her. Once they were done they walked to Sasuke's house. He got his things and they set out for the village gate. As they walked Sasuke couldn't take his mind off the headband that Rei had. He wondered if she still held onto her old village. Was she forced to come here?

They waited for a while until the others arrived. Their clients were just a few merchants with a single cart. They proceeded to escort them to the village and found that the mission was easier than they had expected. However, when they arrived at the village it was already dark.

"Well, I guess we should stay at an inn. We'll head out tomorrow." Kakashi said.

They turned to go find an inn, but Rei stopped them.

"Kakashi-sensei, if you want, we could stay at my old home. It's not too far from here."

"Well, that would be good Rei. Please direct us to your home."

They walked to her old home and Sasuke thought about how quiet she had been throughout the whole mission. She had seemed quite tense and she seemed uneasy with the prospect of staying there for the night. Soon they came upon a large gated mansion. They looked at it in wonder. Rei just opened the gate quickly and ushered them in. She closed it and Sasuke noticed her looking around nervously. They entered the house and Rei turned on the lights.

"Wow, Rei-chan, your family must have been loaded." Naruto said.

"Yes, my mother's clan was quite wealthy as was my father's. This was my grandparent's house, but they are dead so it was passed on to me. Come on, I'll show you your rooms."

Rei showed each of them where they would be staying and after having dinner they went to bed. However Sasuke found that he couldn't sleep. He had too many things to think about and he felt uneasy in this village. Ever since they had arrived he had felt like they were being watched. He got up and left the room to take a walk. He stepped outside and saw Rei sitting down and looking at the water in a pond.

"You couldn't sleep either?" She said quietly.

"No."

Sasuke sat down next to her and looked at her.

"What's wrong? You seem worried."

Rei sighed.

"It's nothing really. I guess being here just brought back some memories."

"Hn."

Sasuke wasn't fooled. He knew there was something else.

"What about you? Why aren't you in bed?"

"To be honest, I feel a bit uneasy being here. Ever since we arrived I felt like we were being watched. I guess I'm just being paranoid."

He glanced at Rei and saw her grow tense. Then she turned to him and smiled, but something about the way she smiled seemed wrong to him.

"You worry too much. This is my home and you'll be safe as long as you're here. You have nothing to worry about."

Sasuke sighed.

"Yeah, I know."

He stood up.

"I guess I'll go back to sleep. You should too, we have to go back to Konoha tomorrow so try to get some rest."

"Yeah, I will. Good night, _Sasuke-kun_." She said smirking.

"Good night brat."

Sasuke left and Rei sighed and let her smirk disappear. She sat there for a while longer and then stood up to go inside. As she was about to go in a kunai flew past her face and embedded itself on the wall. There was a note attached to it. She looked around and pulled out the kunai. She took the note and read it. When she was done she fell to her knees and sobbed.

The next morning Sasuke rose up early and went to check up on Rei. He wanted to see if she was alright, as she had seemed very stressed the night before. He also wanted to make sure she was awake. He really wanted to leave the village and go home, but he knew if they let her sleep as much as she wanted they would be there until noon.

He steeped into her room and froze. She wasn't there, but her things were. He looked around the house, but couldn't find her. He woke up the others and told them that she was gone. They searched the house for her and then went out into the town. They had no luck and so they went back to her house to see if she had returned from wherever she had gone. They found her sitting outside, apparently waiting for them. When she saw them she stood up. Sasuke was happy to see that she was safe and hurried to meet her. As he approached he noticed that she seemed bothered by something. She was smiling, but he knew her well enough to know that something was wrong. He stopped in his tracks when he saw that she no longer had her Konoha headband. She was now wearing her old headband from Kirigakure. The others reached them and also froze when they saw the new change.

"Rei-chan, why do you have that thing on?" Naruto asked.

"Rei, where were you? We were looking for you." Sasuke added.

She sighed and looked at them. I received a note last night from my uncle. He had left the village for a while and was presumed dead. He says that he is coming back and so I have decided to stay here with him."

Sasuke couldn't believe what she had just said and neither could the others.

"I am very grateful for your hospitality, but it is time for me to return to my home. Please send my thanks to the Hokage."

She handed Sasuke her Konoha headband and he looked at it for a minute. His grip tightened around it and he looked up at her with anger and confusion, but apart from that there was pain, pain that he didn't want to feel.

"What are you talking about? You told me that you loved Konoha. You said you didn't care about this village! Now, you're just going to forget about all of us and stay here?"

"Sasuke, Konoha was my home for a while and I am grateful to everyone for their hospitality, but this is my real home. This is where my family is and this is where I belong."

"You're lying."

"I'm sorry, but this is where I want to be. This is my true home."

Ssasuke grabbed her by her shirt.

"Why are you lying? Stop this and tell me the truth. What happened? Why are you doing this?"

Rei looked at him and he couldn't believe how cold her eyes looked.

"Did you really think that I would stay in you village? Did you think that I would agree to live there for the rest of my life? How sad. I never wanted to be there. This is my true home and soon I will have my true family. You were nothing but a little experiment. I wanted to see just how weak Konoha shinobi were."

Sasuke let her go and she smirked. He went into the house to get his things as soon as they were ready they headed out. Sasuke still couldn't believe that he had been tricked like that. He looked around and saw that the others were also upset. Naruto refused to believe that Rei had fooled them and Sakura couldn't believe it either. Kakashi seemed disappointed and he felt like he could never trust anyone again. He had been fooled and used and he found that it hurt to think that she had been the one to do it. She had been nice and innocent and he had cared about her. He scowled as he thought of the time he spent with her. Was that all a lie?

As he thought about this and they exited the village he took out her old headband from Konoha. He looked at it and saw that there was something attached to it. He took off a small piece of paper. He opened it and froze. The others noticed that he had stopped and turned to him.

"We have to go back."

_**End Chapter Fifteen**_

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**Hope you guys liked it. I have good news! My dad ordered a new computer for me so I will be able to update during the week too. Anyways, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello people!Hope you guys like this chapter and sorry for taking so long, but I can't update too often because of technical difficulties. Apart from that I have been very busy with school. Anyways, thanks to ruler of dragons, Lyris88, tru-viet, MistFairie93, Hibiki-chan, and lovefatedestiny for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely Rei and the bad guys.**

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**Chapter Sixteen**

Rei was sitting on the same spot she had been sitting in the night before when she spoke to Sasuke. She looked out at the pond before her. She felt empty, as she now knew that she was alone, but she also knew that she had to remain calm until someone was sent to help. But would they help? She really hoped so. She knew that she was in danger and it was only a matter of time before it would be too late. Suddenly she sensed someone approaching. She scowled when she realized who it was.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite niece, Rei."

Rei turned to look at the man who spoke. She frowned as she looked at him. He had messy dark brown hair that was cut short, brown eyes and pale skin. He was wearing some black pants, a fishnet shirt over which was a Jounin vest from Kirigakure, and a headband.

"What the hell do you want?" She growled.

"That's no way to talk to your uncle, besides, you already know what I want." He said, smirking.

"Well you can forget about me helping you. I refuse to be involved in your stupid plans."

"Oh, so you won't help? Well, that's alright, I'll just have to pay your friends a visit."

Rei froze and the man smirked.

"If I'm lucky I might catch them on their way back to Konoha."

Rei sighed and closed he eyes to keep herself from crying. She hated herself for what she was about to do.

"What do you want me to do?"

* * *

Team Seven sped back to Kirigakure. After reading the letter that Rei had left Kakashi had decided to return for Rei instead of getting help from Konoha. They had realized that by the time helped arrived it could be too late. Sasuke had been furious when he read the letter. **Flashback**

_Sasuke took the small piece of paper from the headband and unfolded it. He recognized the writing as that of Rei's. He read it and felt his grip tighten on the small piece of paper._

**_Sasuke, by the time you read this I hope that you will be in a safe place. I want you to know that I am sorry for having lied to you and the others, but I had to. I was forced to stay in Kirigakure by my uncle who sent me a letter last night. He threatened me to stay and wants to use me to gain power. I left the note in your pocket. Please hand it to the Hokage, he'll know what to do. Please be careful. I hope to see all of you back home soon._**

_Rei _

_Sasuke scowled and stuck his hand in his pocket. He pulled out another note and read it quckly. He felt his blood boil as he read it._

**If you want your friends to live you must remain in Kirigakure. I will come for you as soon as they leave. If you leave or tell anyone I will make sure that your friends suffer. You will help me, like it or not. Your allegiance is to the family and you will become a rogue shinobi if that is what I ask of you.**

**Hametsu**

_Sasuke growled and stopped. He turned to the others and gave Kakashi the letters. Once he had read them he told the other two what was going on. They decided that there was no time to waste. They had to help Rei._

**End Flashback**

They were almost at Kirigakure and Sasuke hoped that they were not too late. He blamed himself fro not noticing what was oing on. He knew something was wrong and he hadn't done anything about it. He wouldn't let that happen again. He wouldn't let anyone take her away from him again.

* * *

Rei was picking up her weapons and getting ready for the journey ahead. She was to depart with Hametsu as soon as she was done packing, which was why she was taking such a long time on purpose. Unfortunately, she was almost done and she knew if she took too long Hametsu would check up on her and he would be angry. She sighed and picked up her bag. She walked out of the room thinking of her friends.

She found that it hurt to think of them as she could still see their pained expressions in her mind. She could see Naruto as he struggled to comprehend why she was leaving them and why she was being so cold. She could see Sakura's confusion and the disappointment in Kakashi's face. Perhaps what hurt her the most was the thought of the anger and confusion shrouded with pain in Sasuke's face. It had hurt her to see that usually cold and arrogant face filled with pain and disillusionment. What had hurt more was knowing that she was the cause of his anguish.

She knew she would miss all of her friends, but it was Sasuke whom she would miss the most. She wished she hadn't had to lie to them, but it had been the only way to keep them safe. She loved her friends dearly and she would give and do anything to keep them safe. For them she would give both her life and freedom.

She found Hametsu waiting for her outside. Rei had found out that he had been the one who sent Shiwa and the others to capture her. He had been displeased, to say the least, when he found out that her and the others had gotten rid of them. She could still feel her side throbbing with pain from where he had hit her. One of the main reasons she didn't try to run away was because she was too weak. The last time she had faced him she had barely managed to escape alive. This led her to wonder why he needed her, but she supposed it was because of her Kekkei Genkai. She frowned as Hametsu turned to her.

"Well, looks like from now on you're a Rogue Shinobi like me."

"I'm not a Rogue Shinobi. I am still loyal to Konoha."

"Well, I don't think it matters anymore or at least it won't when they find out you're a criminal. Of course, if the Hokage knew your little secret I doubt anyone will miss you."

"Shut up! What do you know, you deserted your own clan to save your skin and seek nothing but power. But none of that matters because sooner or later someone will stop you."

"You forget that when I die you die too. After all, you're a criminal now."

"Well, if I die at least I'll make sure to drag you down to hell with me you worthless waste of existence." She said venomously.

Hametsu scowled and struck her across the face. She fell and he picked her up by her shirt. She felt the side of her face where he had hit her throbbing with pain and she felt a trickle of warm blood spilling from the corner of her mouth. He raised his fist ready to strike her again and she closed her eyes, bracing herself for what was to come, but it never arrived. Rei was thrown to the side and she opened her eyes. She looked up at Hametsu and turned to see what he was looking at so intently. Her eyes widened as she saw her friends standing by the gate of her house. She felt both joy and worry. She was happy to see them, but she was concerned for what would happen to them in the battle that was to come.

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**_End Chapter Sixteen_**

**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for the shortness. I have a lot more written down but I didn't type it up for three reasons. One, I don't have time, two, I have to start my project or I assure you that I will be royally screwed and three, I like to make you guys suffer. Anyways, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter and sorry for taking so long, but I got my new laptop and I had to take care of some other things. I was also busy with school. My brother took a break from work and so we have been spending some time together. At least I'll update regularly from now on. Thanks to ****Hibiki-chan****, Lyris88, ****MistFairie93****, ruler of dragons, larrycucumber2, ****tru-viet****, and ****AkatsukiUchihaItachi**** for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei**** and the bad guys.**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

Sasuke looked at Rei and then at Hametsu. He growled at the man that had dared to hurt his friend. He watched as he smirked wickedly and Rei laid there in shock. He could tell that she was worried about them, but he wouldn't let her get hurt. He would fight to get her back and make sure that she was never taken away from him again.

"Well, it looks like I'll have to kill your friends after all." Hametsu said toRei.

"No, leave them alone! Let's just go, they aren't a threat to us."

"Sorry brat, but I won't take any risks."

Hametsu charged at them, but Kakashi blocked his attack. He turned to the others.

"Take Rei and get out of here. I'll take care of this guy."

They nodded and went over to Rei.

"Rei-chan, are you alright?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, but you guys have to leave."

"We're not leaving without you." Sasuke said.

Rei looked at him and knew that there was no way to change his mind. He would stay and she couldn't do anything about it. She sighed and gave in.

"Fine, but be careful, he might have called some other rogue shinobi. I heard him say that they were scouting the area and clearing it of any potential enemies so that it would be easier for us to travel."

"Alright, stay on alert and watch out for any movement." Sasuke said.

He took out a kunai and the others did the same. He turned to Rei and looked at the mark on her cheek. He felt a pang of guilt for not having gotten there sooner and for having allowed her to offer herself in exchange for their safety.

"Sorry for getting here so late."He said and looked away.

Rei was a bit surprised by Sasuke's sudden apology.

"It's okay. Still, I would have liked it if you guys would have gone to the Hokage like I asked. His might be too much for us to handle."

Sasuke didn't respond. He wondered why she was so worried about Hametsu. From what he could see he didn't seem to be particularly strong. Still, he had an uneasy feeling about the guy and he knew that Rei had to have a reason for fearing him. He watched as him and Kakashi fought and he could tell that he was strong although he thought that he would soon be defeated by Kakashi. Then, without warning Kakashi was caught by a strange Jutsu. He watched as vines protruded from the ground and wrapped around Kakashi. He turned to Rei and saw the shock in her face. Hametsu turned to them and smirked.

"Looks like your Sensei won't be able to help you brats."

Rei tensed and clutched her kunai tightly ready to fight.

"I guess I should thank your father. After all, he's the one that taught me the Jutsu."

"Shut up." Rei growled.

"What's wrong, are you scared?"

Rei didn't say anything and Sasuke growled.

"She's not scared of you and neither are we. Get ready to die." He said.

Hametsu laughed.

"Do you really think you can defeat me? I bet you haven't even killed anyone in your entire life. Still, you might be able to entertain me and you will serve as a lesson to Rei to not disobey me."

Hametsu smirked and before they knew it he was behind them. Sasuke pushed Rei out of the way and Naruto dodged in time. Sakura's reflexes were too slow and so she was hit by Hametsu and sent back into the wall. She was knocked out. Kakashi watched in horror as his students were attacked by a rogue shinobi. He cursed himself for having allowed Hametsu to distract him. Still, he couldn't be blamed as what he had been told was surprising. He wondered if the Hokage knew about it.

Rei stood up quickly and got ready to fight, but Hametsu went after Naruto. He blocked and dodged and Rei rushed to his aid. Sasuke also went to help. Rei threw a kunai at Hametsu and he dodged it. It headed towards Naruto and for a moment she felt her blood freeze. Fortunately Sasuke reacted quickly and threw another kunai that blocked the one Rei had thrown. Hametsu swung his fist back and Rei raised her arms to block. He hit her and sent her back, but thanks to her quick reflexes she was able to compose herself quickly. She ran back to the battle and watched as Sasuke made some hand signs while Naruto distracted Hametsu. He glanced at her and she knew what to do. She ran to Naruto and created a barrier of wind like the one she had had used during her training with Sasuke.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

When the fire dispersed they were shocked to see that Hametsu was no longer there. Rei looked around and heard metal clanging behind her. She turned and saw Naruto blocking Hametsu's kunai with his own. Hametsu punched him and he slid back. Rei swung at him, but he blocked. She swung again and he blocked her hit and kicked her back. He walked towards her, but was stopped by Naruto. However, he punched him and grabbed him by his throat. Sasuke threw some kunai at him and he dodged them easily. Rei stood up and saw Naruto being held by Hametsu. She made some hand signs.

"Earth Style: Thousand Spikes!"

Spikes of earth rose from the ground and moved towards Hametsu. He threw Naruto back and dodged. Rei released the Jutsu so as to not injure Naruto. She looked around fro Hamestu and Sasuke appeared next to her.

"Looks like were the only ones left. Stay close to me and stay alert." He said.

Rei nodded and looked around.

"Stupid girl."

She turned around and saw Hametsu. She was too slow and couldn't block his attack she was knocked back into a tree. Sasuke swung at Hametsu with a kunai, but his attack was easily blocked. He swung at him with his fist, but his attack was parried. He twisted around and kicked him. He successfully hit him and he was thrown back. Sasuke rushed at him with a kunai, but Hametsu was replaced by a log. Sasuke stopped and turned only to be punched by Hametsu. Hametsu pulled him back and grabbed him by the neck. He began to choke him and turned to Rei with a smirk on his face.

"Well, kid, looks like your friends are done for. This should teach you to behave."

Rei watched Sasuke struggle for breath and felt tears beginning to form in her eyes. She felt weak and foolish for having given Sasuke the note. They would have been better off if she had just kept quiet and pretended to be a criminal. At least they would have been safe. Now, they were all fighting for her and the only one left was Sasuke and soon he would be gone. No, she wouldn't let anything happen to him or to the others. They had risked their lives to save them and she would risk hers to save them now. She had sworn to help them and keep them safe no matter what and she would give her life for her friends. She would fight, even if she was weak, even if she would just end up dead, at least she wouldn't have to do Hametsu's dirty work. She stood up and growled at Hametsu. Hametsu looked at her.

"Don't tell me you want to fight too. You know you can't beat me so just stay where you are if you want to live."

"Shut up. I'm tired of you using me and telling me I'm weak. Maybe I am, but I would rather die than betray Konoha."

Hametsu smirked and threw Sasuke to the side. He held his throat and gasped for air. He watched as Rei stood ready to fight. He could see the determination in her eyes, but he also knew that she was scared. He wished he could help her, but he could hardly move. He cursed his own weakness and feared for her life. She was now up against the man that had defeated him and the others with ease. He hoped that she could hold him up long enough for him to come up with something. He had to do something. He wasn't ready to lose her, not now.

**_End Chapter Seventeen_**

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but this is a long battle and I ****don't**** have time to type the whole thing. Also, I would like your opinion on how soon I should make the ****Rei and ****Sasuke**** pairing official. Also I will let one reviewer edit the next chapter for me, but the deal is they have to tell me what the names of all of my characters mean. So, review! Sayonara!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello people1 Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ****Hibiki-chan****, ruler of dragons, MistFairie93, jjayno1, ****lovefatedestiny****tru-viet****RevolutionAngel****, and Lyris88, for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely ****Rei**** and the bad guys.**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

Rei glared at Hametsu and he smirked.

"Fine, if you want to fight I'll fight, but it's a shame. You really could have been useful."

Hametsu grinned and ran towards Rei. She was expecting him and so when he swung at her she slashed him with a kunai. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke just like she had expected him to. She sighed and felt him behind her. She jumped to the side and threw some shuriken at him. He blocked them with his own kunai and swung at her. She crossed her arms in front of her to protect herself. He hit her and she went back, but regained her balance and landed safely. As soon as she landed she jumped back as Hametsu tried to hit her. He threw some kunai and she managed to dodge them. She jumped up and made some hand signs.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

Hametsu was surprised and jumped out of the way of the fire, but still received some minor burns. Rei frowned and landed a few feet away from Hametsu. She looked at him and knew that she had angered him. She tried to think of a way to defeat him, but nothing came to her mind. She knew that he was better than her at taijutsu and ninjutsu and she was never too experienced with genjutsu. The way she saw it, she only had one choice. She sighed and glared at him not wanting to do something stupid that could cost her both her life and her friends. Hametsu glared back with fury in his eyes.

"You little bitch! You actually hurt me! I'm going to make sure your friends suffer while you watch them die!"

He made some hand signs and Rei got ready to defend herself. However, nothing happened.

Sasuke looked at Rei fighting with Hametsu and wished that he could do something, but he didn't know what to do. He had already fought with the man and it had proved to be useless. When he saw Rei hit Hametsu with a fireball he hoped that she had defeated him, but he knew better. He stood up and was ready to help when he saw Hametsu making hand signs. He took out a kunai and got ready to attack. He saw Rei getting ready to counter whatever Hametsu would do, but nothing happened, at least not to her. He was startled when he felt something snaking around his legs. He looked down to see vines protruding from the ground and tying him down. He growled and looked up. He quickly put his arms up as Hametsu punched him. Even though he had managed to block it was a painful blow.

Rei saw Hametsu hit Sasuke and watched as he fell back, but was caught by the man she hated so much. He pulled him up and undid the jutsu.

"Sneaky little bastard. He tried to get me while I was busy fighting you. I saw him take a kunai out ready to strike." He told Rei.

Rei growled at Hametsu.

"Let him go!"

"And why should I?"

Rei looked at Sasuke as he was being held by Hametsu. She watched as he struggled to get free. She could see that he had very little strength left and at the rate things were going they wouldn't last for much longer. She sighed and knew what she had to do. Although she knew that Sasuke and the others would be upset about her choice it was her choice and she would give her life and freedom for her friends.

"Please let them go and I will do whatever you want. I won't try to betray you and I will obey just let them go."

Hametsu smirked and sasuke looked at Rei stunned of what she was doing. She was sacrificing herself for them. He couldn't let her do that. He looked at her trying to get her to look at him so that he could convince her that they didn't matter, that he didn't matter, that the only thing that mattered was her. Still, she avoided his gaze and Sasuke growled fiercely. He felt a sudden surge of strength and punched Hametsu. He released him he ran to where Rei was. She was surprised to see get away from Hametsu, but she was also glad that he was safe.

"Sasuke, Are you alright?"

"Shut up you idiot! How could you even think of letting him take you away?" He said as he stood before her in a protective manner.

Rei was taken aback by the rage in his voice, but she also sensed a bit of worry. She didn't know that to say. She was amazed to see that Sasuke had worried about her. She looked at him and then down at the ground.

"I'm sorry, I was just worried."

"Well don't. I don't need an annoying brat like you to protect me. If anyone needs protection it's you."

Rei smiled slightly at Sasuke although he had his back turned to her. Hametsu looked at them and growled.

"You stupid brat! I'll kill you!"

"Shut up you bastard! I suggest you leave before _I _kill you."

Hametsu glared and suddenly he smirked.

"Tell me, why do you care so much about the idiot girl behind you? Why do you try so hard to protect her?"

Sasuke looked at him with a puzzled look on his face and Rei didn't understand what Hametsu meant for a while. Then it hit her. She knew what he was planning and she hated him for what he was about to do. Hametsu saw that she knew and smirked.

"Oh, so you haven't told him? Rei, you've been a very bad girl. You've been keeping secrets from your dear friends."

"Shut up!"

"Now, I think it's only fair for him to know the truth before he dies."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke said as he looked from Rei to Hametsu.

"Sasuke, don't listen to him."

"Well, you see, when my dear niece was only a young child her parents found out that she had inherited her father's Kekkei Genkai. Now, at first they were happy, but after a while they saw that it was hard for her to control her powers so my dear sister and the brat's old man went to a certain someone for help. She was left in the care of---Ow!"

He was cut off by a kunai embedding itself in his arm. He looked at Rei and couldn't believe how much rage was in her eyes. It took a great deal of his self control to keep from flinching at the hate in her glare. Sasuke turned to look at Rei and was also shocked by the look in her eyes. There was no longer any kindness in them. Instead he saw hatred and rage. He shivered as he realized that he was reminded of his brother's eyes.

"Not another word, you pitiful excuse for a shinobi."

Both Sasuke and Hametsu were surprised by the coldness of her voice. Sasuke wondered what Hametsu wanted to say that made Rei so upset. He watched as she stepped out from behind him and stood in front. She glared at Hametsu.

"Rei…" Sasuke started.

"Stay back. This is my fight."

_**End Chapter Eighteen**_

_****_

**Hope you guys liked this chapter and sorry for the shortness, but I'm busy with finals. I'll try to update soon. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello People! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ruler of dragons, ****uchiha****hikari****, Lyris88, MistFairie93, ****tru-viet****, jjayno1, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, and ****RevolutionAngel**** for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

Rei glared at Hametsu as Sasuke looked at her wondering why she had changed so much so suddenly. Hametsu looked at her and he could tell that she was upset. Still, he tried to calm his fears by telling himself that she was still weaker than him. He pulled the kunai out of his arm and threw it back at Rei. She dodged it with ease as she turned to look at Sasuke.

"Sasuke, stay out of this fight. I'll take care of him. Go see if the others are fine."

"What are you talking about? You can't beat him on your own you idiot."

"Just do what I tell you to do. I won't hold back anymore."

Sasuke frowned, but somehow he knew that she was serious this time. A part of him believed that she would actually be able to defeat him. She turned back around and Sasuke knew she wouldn't let him interfere.

"This won't take long."

"You damn brat! Do you really think you can defeat me? Don't you remember you already tried it and you failed? Accept it, you're just too weak."

"Shut up. You should stop talking and fight me, unless you're scared."

Hametsu growled and gasped when Rei suddenly disappeared from sight.

"Of course, maybe you should be scared."

He shivered as he felt the kunai pressed to his back and heard the venom dripping from her voice. He turned his head slowly and saw her smirking. He felt a sharp pain and knew she had driven the kunai into his back. He could hear her chuckling and wondered how she had become so fast. He hadn't even seen her move. He stumbled forward and pulled the kunai out. He looked at her with anger and confusion, but there was also fear in his eyes.

"What's wrong uncle? Are you surprised to see how strong I've gotten or are you really that scared?"

"Shut up! I'll kill you!"

Hametsu rushed at Rei in blind fury and she smirked as she easily dodged his attack. He had become slow thanks to the injuries she had given him. He kept fighting and somehow landed a punch. He kicked her back and she flipped and landed on her feet. She glared at him and wiped some blood from her mouth. He made some hand signs and the water in the pond behind him rose.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Missile!"

Rei jumped back and tried to dodge the attack, but the water was too fast. She didn't get hit full on, but she got hit and was thrown back. Hametsu saw this and threw some shuriken at her she saw them coming and dodged most of them, but one hit her leg and the other scratched her side. She stood up shakily and felt her leg throbbing with pain. She pulled the kunai out and dropped it on the ground. She could see Hametsu smirking. Apparently he had regained his confidence thanks to that attack.

"Do you still think you can defeat me?" He said mockingly.

"No."

Sasuke was a bit startled by her answer and he was worried about her. He wondered if she would be able to defeat Hametsu.

"I know I can defeat you."

Hametsu growled and Rei made some hand signs. She got into a strange fighting position and glared at Hametsu. Sasuke could see anger in her eyes, but there was also determination.

"Elemental Taijutsu: Wind Style!"

Hametsu was surprised and Sasuke thought he saw fear in his eyes when Rei got ready to use the strange technique. He supposed Hametsu already knew about it and that it must be powerful.

"I'm tired of playing. Let's end this now." She said and rushed at Hametsu.

She punched him and he dodged quickle. She smirked and Sasuke saw blood splatter on the ground. He was puzzled as he was sure that Hametsu had managed to dodge Rei's attack. He looked closer and saw that when Rei swung her chakra was visible around her fist. It was combined with the wind forming some kind of blades that flew towards Hametsu when she swung.

Hametsu moved as fast as he could, dodging as well as his tired body allowed him. Still, he was receiving a fair number of cuts. He knew he couldn't allow Rei to land a single punch because that would be the end of him, but he also knew that this technique, although powerful, took a lot of chakra and he doubted she could keep fighting for much longer. He smirked and jumped back as she spun around and kicked him. A large blade of wind formed and he managed to dodge it. He landed a few feet back and from the distance Sasuke could see the various cuts he had received from Rei's attacks. He hoped that she would be able to defeat him as he could see that she was tired. He wanted to help her, but he knew that she wouldn't allow it. He understood because he would do the same thing if it was Itachi.

"Tired?" Hametsu blocked.

"Not enough to give up."

"Heh, we'll see about that. That technique is very useful, isn't it? But, doesn't it take a lot of chakra out of you?"

Rei frowned. She knew what he was thinking. He was hoping that she would exhaust her chakra and she was worried that his hopes would prevail. She felt weak and tired, but she knew she had to finish him off. She ignored the throbbing pain in her wounds and got ready to keep fighting. She knew she was close to defeating him for she could see him panting and could see the desperation in his eyes.

* * *

Kakashi watched as his newest student fought against the man who had managed to trap him. He cursed himself once more for allowing himself to be distracted in such a crucial moment. He had tried to get rid of the vines, holding him down, but couldn't. He knew their only hope now was for Rei to beat Hametsu, but he wondered if she would be able to do it. She was trying with all of her strength and he had begun to think that she would be able to do it when he noticed how tired she looked. Apart from that he could see the bruises and scratches that covered her body and the places where she had been cut by Hametsu's kunai. He could see the blood trickling down her leg and staining her pants from where she had been stabbed. He hated himself for allowing this to happen, but knew that there was nothing he could do. It was all up to Rei now.

* * *

Rei ran at Hametsu. She could feel her chakra slipping away and knew that she didn't have too much time left. She swung at him and he dodged he tried to hit her and she caught his fist. She pulled him towards her and punched him. She was surprised to see him smirk and then she noticed that the chakra that had been surrounding her fists was gone. She had run out of time. The technique had taken too much chakra and she could no longer sustain it. She looked at him and she could tell that he had been waiting for this. He grabbed her by her throat and began to choke her.

"I told you you would never be able to defeat me. You're too weak. Now, you have to die because of your stupidity. If you had obeyed your friends would have lived, but now they too will die."

He threw her to the ground and she stood up shakily. She turned to him and saw that he was gone. An instant later he appeared in front of her and she felt a sudden sharp pain in her stomach. She looked down and saw him holding a kunai. She could see the blood beginning to flow and soaking her shirt. She looked up at him and saw him smirk.

"Game over, brat."

* * *

Sasuke watched in horror as Rei was stabbed by Hametsu. He couldn't believe what was happening. He wanted to go help her, but he found himself unable to move. He was rooted to the spot by pure shock. He saw Hametsu pull out the kunai and punch Rei, sending her back. He saw here laying there without moving and saw the blood flowing from her wounds. He found that he was overwhelmed with fear and sorrow. Then he saw her move and she raised herself up slowly to glare at Hametsu. She glanced at him and although she was tired and weak he could still see the same determination in her eyes.

* * *

Rei laid on the ground for a while thinking of what to do next. She had not given up although she was weak and wounded. She knew Sasuke was watching and she knew that he was worried and for that she would not give up. She looked at him trying to reassure him that she was fine. She began to stand up and when she had raised herself up on her hands and knees she spat out some blood. She ignored it as she ignored the pain she felt throughout her body and stood up. She could feel her strength leaving her and knew she only had one chance left. She had enough chakra for one more attack and then she would be done. She glared at Hametsu and he smirked.

"Just give up. If you do I might let you live."

"Shut up."

She pulled out some more kunai and threw them at him. He dodged them and laughed at her.

"Is that all you can do? Are you really so desperate that you think a few kunai will help?"

Rei smirked and he suddenly felt uneasy.

She put her hands together and said a single word.

"Explode."

The kunai behind Hametsu went off. He had failed to notice the seals attached to them and that was what Rei had been counting on. His carelessness. He was thrown forward, just as she had planed. She made some quick hand signs as Hametsu struggled to stand.

"Wind Style: Raging Whirlwind!"

The air around Hametsu gathered and began to spin quickly. He growled and tried to get out, but the wind would just throw him back in. He was trapped and he was scared of what Rei would do next.

Rei felt weak and her legs would barely support her. Her vision was getting blurry and she stumbled. She caught herself in time and made an effort to remain standing.

_'Not yet, it's not over yet, just one more hit.' _She thought.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

She breathed the fire into the whirlwind and it blended with the wind. She could hear Hametsu screaming and as she glanced towards Kakashi she saw the vines retreating. She felt her strength leaving her and let herself fall to the ground. She had finished him off and her friends were safe. That was all she wanted and all she had hoped for. As he laid there she saw Sasuke in front of her. She could see that he was worried and smiled at him. She could see him talking, but she couldn't hear him. She felt herself growing sleepy and let her eyes close, but before she did she said something to Sasuke.

"I told you…I could beat him…"

_**End Chapter Nineteen**_

_****_

**I bet if I had left it at the part when she was stabeed you guys would have killed me. I was still tempted to do it. Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to MIstFairie93, ****Tsukinoyo****, Lyris88, jjayno1, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, and tru-viet for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

Rei woke up in a bright room. She squinted as her eyes were not used to the light. Once her eyes had adjusted she looked around and recognized the place she was in as the hospital. She frowned and tried to sit up, but was met with a sharp pain in her stomach. She laid down quickly and groaned at the pain that shot throughout her body. She sighed and tried to sit up again. This time she managed to do it although she was in a lot of pain. She looked around and saw that the room was empty. She hated hospitals, they depressed her and she didn't like the way everything was white and clean. She carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a moment. She wanted to leave the room and take a walk, but she didn't know if her legs would be able to support her. She didn't even know how long she had been out. She looked at herself and saw that she was covered in scratches and a few bruises. Her leg was bandaged as were her arms one of her hands and her head. She sighed and ignored the obvious fact that it would be hard to stand. She had to get out of the evil hospital room and go somewhere with fresh air.

She set her feet down on the ground and slowly stood up. She stumbled and grabbed on to the bedside table for support. She began to take small steps towards the door. She was halfway there when the door opened and Sasuke stepped in. He looked at her and she could tell that he was surprised, but then again so was she. She lost her balance and stumbled. She was about to fall when Sasuke caught her. She felt herself being picked up and he carried her back to her bed.

"Stupid girl, what were you doing up? You're too weak to walk."

She frowned and stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'm fine. Besides, I hate this room, it's depressing."

Sasuke sighed, but he was relieved to see that she was alright.

"When did you wake up?"

"A few minutes ago. How long was I out? My legs don't work too well."

"You've been unconscious for two days and of course your legs don't work well, you're still weak. You're such an idiot, trying to walk when you've just woken up." He said with a hint of annoyance.

"Shut up, you jerk. If I hadn't had to save your sorry ass I would be fine!"

Sasuke twitched.

"What the hell do you mean, you saved me? I'm the one that saved you."

"Then how come I'm the one in the hospital?"

Sasuke frowned. Even if it was a joke he felt a bit of remorse. He knew that she was joking, but she was right. If he had been able to help she would be fine. In his mind he was the one that should be in the hospital not her. Rei realized that she had been too harsh and sighed.

"How are the others?"

"They're fine. Naruto just needed some rest and Sakura's just dealing with a lump in her head."

"What about you?"

"I'm fine."

They stayed quiet for a minute and then Sasuke reached into his pocket.

"Here."

Rei looked at was he was holding and smiled. She took her Konoha headband from him and looked at it fondly.

"Thanks."

"Hn."

She understood that as Sasuke for 'you're welcome'.

"Your Kirigakure headband is with your other clothes."

"I don't need it anymore."

Sasuke looked at her and she smiled.

"I'm a Konoha shinobi now, that is, if you still want me here."

Sasuke smirked.

"Well, as annoying as you are, you do come in useful once in a while."

"Yeah, well as moody as you are, you are fun to annoy. Which reminds me, how are your fangirls? I bet they were worried about their precious _Sasuke__-kun_." She said mockingly.

Sasuke growled and his eye twitched.

"You're lucky your already in a hospital bed, you brat."

"Nag."

"Idiot."

"Moody, jerk."

"Stupid kunoichi."

"Paranoid bastard."

"You know, I think I liked you better when you were unconscious."

She stuck out her tongue.

"You shouldn't mess with injured people _Sasuke__-kun_."

"Good to see you're as annoying as ever." He said sarcastically.

She grinned as though it was a compliment and he just shook his head. A nurse entered the room and smiled when she saw that Rei was awake.

"Good morning, miss."

"Hello." She said happily.

Sasuke just sighed at how hyperactive she was. He knew that it was because she had been out for two days. He was just glad that he wouldn't have to deal with her for a while longer. He hoped her energy would wear out by the time she got out of the hospital. The nurse went over to Rei and checked to see how she was.

"Well, it seems that your wounds are healing nicely. I'll have to tell the doctor to come and see you later. Would you like something to eat?"

"Yes Please! I'm starved."

The nurse laughed and Sasuke just shook his head, although he was smirking. He was just glad to have her back. He would rather put up with her annoying habits then to lose her. The nurse left to get some food for Rei and she turned to Sasuke.

"Hey, jerk, how come you came if you thought I was unconscious?"

Sasuke looked away and didn't respond. Rei just looked at him and cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"I just…wanted to see how you were doing…" He mumbled.

Rei was a bit surprised. He had actually worried about her. She smiled and got an evil idea. She ignored the pain her plan would cause her and glomped Sasuke as he sat in a chair next to her bed.

"Oh! _Sasuke__-kun_ I didn't know you cared! I'm _ever _so grateful!" She said in her best imitation of a fangirl voice.

Sasuke almost fell out of the chair, but he managed to stay seated. A deep blush appeared across his face and he grabbed Rei and gently tried to remove her from him.

"Get off of me!"

Rei laughed as Sasuke fought to get her away from him. Everything was going according to plan, that is, until she lost her balance.

"Woah! Ahhh!"

She held onto Sasuke to keep herself from falling, but the chair toppled over and they both fell. She opened her eyes and found herself sitting on top of Sasuke. She got off of him and sat on her bed. Sasuke glared at her from the floor.

"I'm going to kill you." He said calmly.

"Now Sasuke, it's not nice to threaten injured people." She said nervously.

Sasuke stood up slowly and walked towards her. She gulped and moved farther away from him until she hit the wall. He smirked and was about to get back at her when he heard someone approaching the room. He sighed and sat back down. He glared at her.

"You're lucky you're hurt."

She stuck out her tongue and the nurse entered the room. She set the tray of food down on the bedside table and turned to Rei.

"Well, if you need anything else don't hesitate to call."

She left and Rei suddenly felt Sasuke smirking. She turned to look at him and smiled.

"Sasuke, isn't it time for you to go home?"

"I think I'll stay for a while longer." He said smirking.

She laughed nervously and Sasuke shook his head.

"Relax, Rei, I'm not going to do anything. Like I said before, you're lucky you're hurt."

She sighed in relief.

"Well, that's good to hear."

She turned to her food and began to eat. Sasuke looked at her, but he was thinking of what had happened when they fought Hametsu. He wondered what had made her change so much. It was like she was another person. Whatever it was he didn't like it. He knew she wouldn't ell him anything and so he wouldn't ask her. Besides, she had just woken up. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice her looking at him. She reached over and waved a hand in front of his face. He snapped out of his trance and looked at her.

"You know, it's hard to eat if you're staring."

Sasuke didn't say anything. He stood up and walked to the door.

"I'll come back tomorrow. You should rest and don't do anything stupid that could make your injuries worst."

"Yes _Sasuke__-kun." _She sneered.

Sasuke smirked and closed the door. He really was glad to have her back.

_**End Chapter Twenty**_

_****_

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ****tru-viet****, MistFairie93, Lyris88, ****RevolutionAngel****, and ****Uchiha**** Sasha for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely ****Rei**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Rei spent the whoel day looking out of the window and trying not to kill herself to avoid staying in the evil white hospital room. She felt a bit better when Naruto arrived. They talked for a while and he kept making her laugh, but had to stop when the nurse told him that he would make her wound open again. Rei laughed at that too. As soon as the nurse left Naruto went to the window and opened it. Rei watched with curiosity as one of Naruto's clones walked in with a bowl of ramen. He put it on the bedside table and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Naruto looked at Rei smirking.

"I thought you might want some ramen so I sent a clone to get some."

Rei smirked at him.

"You're the best, Naruto-kun!"

Rei ate the ramen and promised to go with Naruto to get some more when she got out of the hospital. They talked for a while and then Rei got an evil idea. She smirked at Naruto.

"So, Naruto-kun, how are things with you and Sakura?"

She watched with amusement as he turned a bright shade of red. She laughed.

"Rei-chan, you know Sakura-chan won't go out with me."

She looked up at Naruto and smiled.

"Well, don't worry, Naruto-kun, I'm sure you'll find a nice girl. Besides, Sakura is too violent for you and she already belongs to the Sasuke fanclub. I'm sure she must be fixing up his shrine at this moment with Ino in celebration of his return."

They laughed and this time it was Naruto who got an evil idea.

"Speaking of Sasuke, I heard he came to visit you today, Rei-chan. Are you guys…?"

"Huh? Are we what?" Rei asked, confused.

"You know…."

Rei caught on and laughed.

"Please, I doubt Sasuke even knows I'm a girl. He's too thick to pay attention to non-life threatening things. Besides, thanks to his fanclub, I think he's repulsed by the idea of going out with someone."

"But it looks like he likes you."

"We're friends, but I don't think Sasuke would ever like me in that way and I'm not sure if I would. Besides, he's too serious."

Naruto laughed.

"I gotta go, Rei-chan, but I'll come visit again."

"No you won't. You have to keep training to become Hokage. If I get out of the hospital and find out you were slacking off you'll be in big trouble!"

"Don't worry, Rei-chan, I'll work extra hard so I'll be stronger when you get out!"

"You better."

Hey smiled at each other.

"Take care Rei-chan."

"Yeah, you too, Naruto-kun."

He left and Rei was left alone again. She sighed and looked out the window. Later on she had dinner and the nurse told her to sleep. She tried, but it was too quiet and in all honesty she was creeped out. She felt lonely and the hospital room was too empty. She sighed and kept turning in her bed until she finally fell asleep.

* * *

Sasuke woke up to the sound of rain beating on his window. He got up and got ready to head out. First on his list of things to do was visiting Rei at the hospital. Who would have guessed that the day would come when the great Sasuke Uchiha would care so much about a girl? He sighed and looked out into the pouring rain. Maybe he would stop to get her something. He knew how bored she must be in the hospital. As eh thought of this it occurred to him that she might have run away or tried to take a walk to get over her boredom. He hoped she hadn't, but with Rei you could never be sure.

He stopped at Rei's house and picked up some books for her so she would have something to do. He went to the hospital and when he arrived in Rei's room he saw that the doctor was there too. Rei turned to him and smiled.

"Hi Sasuke!"

He sighed. She was still hyper.

"Hi Rei. Good morning doctor."

"Good morning." The doctor said smiling.

"Hey, Sasuke, guess what? The doctor said I can leave tomorrow!"

Sasuke was a bit surprised to hear she would be leaving the hospital so soon. He was also scared of what she would do as he doubted that she would not be hyper the next day. The way eh saw it, he was doomed to put up with her while she was extra energetic. Still, he was glad to hear that she would finally get out of the hospital. He had actually missed her and there was something that he wanted to tell her.

While she had been in the hospital he had thought about how he felt towards her and he had decided that he should tell her. He really didn't expect her to do more than laugh at him, but he had to tell her. It was bothering him and he couldn't stop thinking about it. He still wasn't sure if he really felt something serious towards Rei, but he wasn't really planning on declaring his undying love for her. That would just be weird. He was actually planning on explaining to her that he thought he might be developing feelings for her, but that he wasn't sure. Of course, he didn't really want to say it like that. That would just sound stupid. For the time being he would just worry about dealing with her while she was hyper. The feeling part would come later and he was not looking forward to it.

The doctor left and Rei poked Sasuke in the ribs to get his attention. He looked at her and frowned.

"Why did you do that?"

"You were being weird again and staring at the wall. I like to say you're in Sasuke land when you do that." She said grinning.

Sasuke sighed and tossed the books onto her bed.

"I thought you might want these to pass the time."

"Thanks."

"So, how do you feel?"

"Like crap, but at least you're here." She said absentmindedly, looking at the books.

Sasuke looked away. Was she really glad to see him? He was about to say that he was glad to see her too, but she spoke first.

"Do you know how boring it gets here? At least Naruto came yesterday after you left. I swear, I'm about to lose my mind. Right now I would take Sakura as company."

Sasuke had the sudden urge to smack her on the head for making him think she was glad to see him.

"Yeah, well, I have to leave. I want to train for a while."

Rei looked up at him and frowned.

"Oh, come on! Stay for a little while longer! Just a little! It get's lonely here."

Sasuke looked at her as she was pouting. He hesitated, but then remembered she just wanted him to entertain her.

"No, I have to go. Maybe Naruto will come later. Just read for now."

"You're so mean! You don't even want to spend time with me anymore."

"Rei, I have to go train."

"Fine! Go train in the rain! I hope you get sick and end up in the hospital so you see what it feels like to be stuck here!"

She turned over in her bed and pulled the bed sheets over her head. Sasuke sighed. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't leave her alone. He was still a bit annoyed with her, but he understood how lonely she was. He sat down on the chair next to the bed and waited for her to stop being childish. That could take a while. When she didn't hear the door open or close she peeked out from the sheets and saw him sitting and looking trough one of the books he had brought her.

"You're not leaving?"

"No, you idiot, now stop being so immature."

She sat up and stuck her tongue out. Sasuke shook his head. She looked down and mumbled something that Sasuke couldn't hear.

"What?"

"I said, thanks for staying."

Sasuke smirked.

"Yeah, well you owe me."

"What, you jerk! You're the one that owes me. I saved you!"

"No, you didn't."

"Yes I did!"

"No, you didn't, now shut up before I leave."

She glared at him.

"Naruto was nicer."

Sasuke's eye twitched. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Fine, I'll go get Naruto so you can bother him instead. I don't know how he puts up with you as annoying as you are. Sometimes you're worst than Sakura."

Sasuke stood up and was about to leave when he heard something that made his blood run cold. He gulped and turned to look at Rei. He saw that she had covered herself with the bed sheets again, but he heard something that sounded strangely like a sob. He walked over to her and stood there looking at her for a moment. He thought he had imagined it and she was just pouting when he heard her sob again. He groaned.

"Rei?"

"Go away!" Came her muffled reply.

Sasuke sighed and tried to pull the covers off of her.

"Leave me alone."

"Stop being so stupid and come out of there."

"No! If I'm so annoying why won't you go away?"

"You idiot, just come out."

"Stop calling me that. I'm not an idiot, you jerk!"

Sasuke gave up and sat down on the bed.

"Okay, I won't call you that. Now, can you just come out so we can talk?"

"No, I can hear you just fine from here."

Once again Sasuke had the urge to strangle her. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Look, I didn't mean it okay, it's just that, you're annoying and sometimes you get on my nerves."

"You hate me!"

"I don't hate you."

"You detest me!"

"Why do you think I detest you?" He sighed.

"You said I was worst than Sakura and you hate her."

Sasuke looked at the bundle of sheets that, sadly, was his teammate and quirked an eyebrow. She really was strange. He grabbed the bed sheets again and tried to pull them off.

"Look, I don't hate you. You just bug me sometimes, but I…" He trailed off.

"You what?"

"…I don't…dislike you, okay."

"Geez thanks." She said sarcastically.

Sasuke sighed and it crossed his mind that if he couldn't even admit to liking her how was he to tell her he was developing feeling towards her?

"Well, if it makes you feel better I would rather spend time with you than with Sakura."

"That doesn't help."

He sighed and felt like hitting his head on the wall. Maybe if he hit it hard enough…. He shook his head, getting rid of all of his suicidal thoughts and looked back at Rei. He was really starting to lose his patience. Of course it was a wonder that he was even showing patience.

"Okay, look, why would I have risked my life to save you from your bastard of an uncle if I hated you?" He said annoyed.

Rei didn't say anything. Sasuke pulled the sheets and she released them. He could see her pouting and trying to look away. He had the urge to laugh, but choked it down. Sasuke did not laugh at pouting girls no matter how cute they were.

_'Wait, did I just think she's cute!?!'_ He thought desperately.

Sasuke shook his head and looked back at Rei.

"I'll stay with you for a while longer, but stop being so childish."

"Fine."

Sasuke sighed and sat on the chair next to the bed. They talked for a while and then he left. He had stayed with Rei for a bit over two hours and he was amazed that he had actually managed to put up with her for that long. He sighed and as he walked home he wondered what it was about her that made him be so…nice. He was always nicer and more patient when it came to her. This was one of the reasons he thought he was starting to feel something towards Rei. He guessed he would just have to wait and see. He would pick her up from the hospital and then he would try to talk to her about how he felt, or at least thought he felt.

* * *

The next morning Sasuke went back to the hospital to pick Rei up. He hoped it wouldn't rain, but once again, God laughed in his face. By the time they had left the hospital it was pouring. Sasuke pulled Rei along and tried to get her into a shop so they wouldn't get wet, but she was walking calmly.

"Hurry up."

"Why? It's just a bit of rain."

Sasuke growled and pulled her into a store. Miraculously, they were relatively dry. He turned to glare at Rei.

"Tell me, are you stupid or do you just enjoy being sick?"

"I just happen to like it when it rains. It's not my fault you can't touch water without getting a cold."

Sasuke growled and it took all of his self control to keep himself from chocking her. He sighed and looked outside.

"Well, Icharaku ramen isn't too far, We can go there and get some food while we wait for the rain to stop."

"Yay! Ramen!"

Sasuke just shook his head. They left towards the ramen shop and after a few minutes they were sitting in a stool eating ramen. Sasuke paid and they left to Rei's house. It was still raining, but not as much as before so Sasuke said it was alright. Besides, he didn't want Rei making fun of him for not wanting to deal with a bit of rain. As they walked he saw that Rei looked unusually happy for someone stuck in the rain. He also couldn't help but notice how her hair shone as the water slid from it and gathered in small drops in her bangs. Her skin looked pale and shone, contrasting with her eyes which looked brighter than ever. He was lost as he looked at her and only turned away when she turned to look at him. He tried to hide his blush and wondered why the hell he was blushing. Rei looked at him, puzzled.

"Sasuke, are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You look strange, and you're flushed. Are you sick?"

Sasuke turned to look at her and thanked God for making her so clueless. He was a bit startled when she touched his forehead. She frowned.

"You do have a bit of a temperature. Come on, we better get you somewhere dry."

They hurried to her home and when they arrived Rei started a fire and made him sit close to it. She told him to take his clothes off and gave him a blanket. She went to the kitchen to make some tea while he changed. He sighed and wondered how he had gotten stuck in Rei's house, sick and without dry clothes. Once again he cursed his luck. He looked up and frowned.

_'What's next, lightning will strike me?'_ He thought miserably.

Rei stepped out into the room with some tea and gave some to Sasuke. She looked out trough the window and frowned.

"It looks like it won't stop soon. I think you're going to have to stay here tonight."

Sasuke froze. There was no way in hell he was spending the night at Rei's house. Rei noticed that he seemed bothered and smirked.

"Don't worry Sasuke, I'm not a fangirl. I won't attack you in the middle of the night."

"Of course you won't. I'm leaving."

Sasuke stood to leave, but Rei stepped on the blanket. Sasuke froze.

"One more step and the blanket comes off and just so you know, my camera is within my reach and I bet your fangirls won't want to miss out on these pictures."

Sasuke glared at her and she grinned.

"Sorry Sasuke, but you're sick and I won't let you go out in the rain like that."

"Fine."

"Good, I'll get a room ready for you."

She left and Sasuke stayed to wonder how all of this had happened. He sighed. There was no use trying to get out now. A moment later Rei returned and sat down across from Sasuke. He didn't like the mischievous grin she was wearing. It made him feel like he would rather face twenty rogue shinobi than be around her.

"So, I guess after you leave I'll be able to auction off that blanket to your fanclub. I'm sure Ino and Sakura would love to get their hands on it."

Sasuke glared.

"Oh, is that why you brought me here? To make a profit?"

"Of course not, but it is a good opportunity."

"I hate you."

"Hey, you said you didn't!"

"I lied." He said smirking.

She stuck out her tongue and he sighed. Then she got an evil idea.

"So, Sasuke, who do you like the most from your fanclub? Sakura or Ino?"

Sasuke choked on his tea and she laughed.

"Shut up you brat!"

"Oh, come on, you can't tell me you don't like someone. Even a cold hearted jerk like you must like someone. After all every girl in Konoha is after you."

"I don't like anyone. I hate all girls, but there is one in particular I despise." He said trough gritted teeth.

Sasuke was starting to think that one of them wouldn't wake up in the morning. He glared at Rei as she laughed.

"Oh, come on, I was just kidding."

"I am going to kill you."

"Sure you will. But, seriously, Sakura really likes you."

"I hate her."

"You're so mean. She really tried to get your attention, you know."

"That's why I hate her."

"Well, I still think you shouldn't be so harsh. She gets really sad."

"Since when do you care about Sakura?"

"I may not like her, but she bugs me more when you reject her."

"So this is all out of convenience."

"Yep."

"You really are strange." He mumbled.

"Hey! I heard that!"

"Good."

She lunged at him and he tried to dodge, but stepped on the blanket wrapped around him and stumbled. She hit him and they both fell. Sasuke groaned and opened his eyes. For the second time since he had met her he found himself on top of her. He blushed and thought of getting off of her, but when she opened her eyes he couldn't help but stare into them. She looked at him and was surprised by the way Sasuke was looking at her. She felt her cheeks growing hot and saw his face getting closer. Sasuke was being drawn closer to Rei and he couldn't help it. He felt his heart pounding in his chest as if it was trying to escape. He could see that she was surprised and it was that surprise which kept her frozen on the floor. Suddenly she felt his warm lips crashing onto her own and was in total shock. She couldn't believe it! He was kissing her! Sasuke couldn't believe it either. He wanted to stop, but he couldn't. He realized that he really did have feeling for Rei and that what he felt was more than anything he had ever felt. She wanted to push him off, but there was something that kept her from doing it. She found that she liked kissing him. She liked being close to him and she wanted him to be with her. Sasuke broke the kiss and sat up quickly. He couldn't believe he had kissed Rei. It was strange. One minute they were arguing and the next he was kissing her.

He stood up quickly and got his clothes. He put them on hastily although they were dry and headed for the door. Rei sat there for a moment and as he walked to the door she stood up and followed him. She wanted to say something, but couldn't. She watched as he began to walk away.

"Sasuke, wait."

He stopped, but didn't turn around.

"I'm sorry."

As soon as he had said that he left. Rei stood there for a while. She wasn't mad or sad, she wasn't happy either. She really didn't know what she felt. She just knew that she was confused. She sighed and went inside. Things were never easy with Sasuke.

_**End Chapter Twenty-One**_

**Hope you guys liked it. I had to make this chapter romantic since people were getting impatient about when ****Sasuke**** would reveal his feelings. Anyways, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to****Uchiha**** Sasha, Lyris88, ****lovefatedestiny****, jjayno1, MistFairie93, and ****Valinor's**** Twilight**** for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely ****Rei**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Sasuke walked home not caring that he was soaked and that he was actually starting to feel sick. He couldn't get his mind off of what had happened between him and Rei. He tried not o think about it, but he couldn't stop. He wanted to just forget about what had happened and remain a friend to Rei. Somehow, he knew that things were about to get more complicated between them. He tried to tell himself that it had been an accident, but the truth was that he had wanted to kiss her. He had actually enjoyed the feeling of her being so close to him and, although he didn't want to admit it, he wished he could kiss her again. However, he knew that it was unlikely that that would happen. He sighed as he thought of how awkward things would be from now on.

As he reached his home he couldn't help but wonder about how she had felt. A part of him hoped that she had seen it as nothing more than an accident, but there was another part of him that wanted her to think of it as more than that. That was the part that was telling him to go back and tell her what he felt, but of course, he had always ignored that part. He changed his clothes and laid on his bed. He didn't sleep he just laid there looking at the ceiling. He laid there for a long time before he fell asleep.

* * *

When Rei woke up the next morning and as she got dressed after taking a quick shower she thought about what had happened the night before with Sasuke. To be honest she was still confused, but apart from that she felt nothing. It was strange, but she suspected that her unfeeling response was due to shock. Still, she didn't think that Sasuke had meant to kiss her, she thought it might have been an accident, or at least a part of her did. There was another part of her telling her that what had happened wasn't an accident and that she should talk to him. That was the part that had actually enjoyed the kiss. She dismissed that thought and began cleaning up around the house. She couldn't train too much as she was still healing and so she decided to just stay home and clean as it would be a while before she had another chance to do so. 

As she cleaned her mind wandered back to Sasuke. She wondered how he was dealing with all of this. She hoped that he wouldn't be angry, but she knew he wouldn't. Sasuke was moody and serious, but she knew that he knew it wasn't her fault. Her main concern was how things would be between them from now on. She liked Sasuke and she wanted to be his friend, but after what happened she wasn't sure that he would want to remain as close to her as he was. Because of this she decided that she wouldn't say anything. If Sasuke wanted to talk about it she would allow him to do so, but she wouldn't expect more than an explanation of why he had done that and of how it had been an accident. She would try to keep things like they were and, although she could really get some nice jokes out of this, she wouldn't mention it again. She was sweeping outside when she sensed someone approaching. She didn't pay too much attention to it and continued with her work.

"You shouldn't be working. You just got out of the hospital."

She looked up in surprise. She certainly wasn't expecting to see him so soon. Still, she smirked.

"Well, I know you might want to lay around and do nothing if you ever got injured, but I'm not that lazy."

Sasuke was a bit surprised to hear that she was being as annoying as ever. He hadn't expected her to act like nothing had happened. He looked at her and she frowned.

"What? Is something wrong?"

He looked at her for a few seconds and then shook his head as he smirked.

"No everything's fine."

"Good, now, why are you here?"

This question caught him off guard. He didn't really know why he was there. He thought for a moment and then realized that he just wanted to tell her that what had happened meant nothing, but he didn't have to as she apparently already assumed that. Still, he wanted to make sure that they set things straight. From the way she was acting he could tell that she felt nothing towards him and so he saw no point in telling her how he felt. However, something was bothering him. He felt like he had to tell her, like he needed to tell her. He guessed eh would start with what had happened the previous night and then move on to other matters if it was necessary.

"I just wanted to tell you that what happened last night-"

"Oh, don't worry about that. If you're worried about you fanclub finding out, don't worry, I won't tell them. Besides I have a reputation to maintain as the only girl in Konoha that isn't obsessed with you and I know it was just an accident."

Sasuke didn't know what to say. He certainly wasn't expecting her to be so blunt or to take things so lightly. He was relieved, but he found that he was also bothered by how unimportant this was to her. It was almost as if he had hoped that she would have wanted it to mean more. He dismissed the thought as being ridiculous.

"Yeah, I'm glad that's clear."

"Well, then, I guess I'll see you later." She said pleasantly.

"Yeah, bye."

He turned to leave and Rei was almost sad to see him leave, but she ignored the feeling and got back to work. Sasuke took a few steps and stopped. He couldn't stop fooling himself. It felt wrong to just leave things like that and he knew why. He wanted to be with her and he didn't care about anything else anymore. He had feelings for her and he knew that he wouldn't be able to get rid of them. He turned back around and walked up to Rei. She stopped what she was doing and looked at him confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Rei, what happened wasn't an accident."

Rei looked at him with shock, but it quickly melted away. She turned serious and Sasuke doubted that he had ever seen her so serious before.

"Stop being stupid. You know it was an accident, we both know that. Now go away and think things through before I hit you with this broom."

"You're the one being stupid. I'm telling you it wasn't an accident. Why can't you just believe it?" He said angered.

"Because you're obviously not feeling fine. You have a cold from walking around in the rain so I suggest you go back and get some rest before you say things like that."

Sasuke frowned.

"Rei, you know it wasn't an accident. Why are you still saying that it is?"

"Because the Sasuke I know is a cold-hearted jerk that wouldn't kiss a girl if his life depended on it. Besides, we both know the only thing you feel towards me is annoyance so it couldn't have meant anything."

Sasuke sighed and tried to think of a way to convince her that it wasn't an accident. He looked at her and saw something that resembled anger in her eyes. Then it occurred to him that she felt something for him. He made up his mind and got ready for what was to come. He walked up to her and grabbed her hand. She was surprised by this and so she didn't do anything. He pulled her towards him and kissed her. She didn't move or rather she couldn't as her mind was still trying to process what was happening. She didn't struggle she just stood there. She told herself that she felt nothing, but she knew that wasn't true. She felt like her heart was about to burst and she found that she couldn't deny the fact that she felt something for Sasuke.

Sasuke couldn't believe that he had kissed her again. He felt his heart pounding in his chest and his mind was racing. He wondered what she would do when it ended and realized that he didn't want it to end. He broke the kiss and looked at her expecting her to hit him or to just walk away, but she just stood there. He could see her blushing furiously and he knew that he was also blushing. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say.

"You actually meant it." Rei said in a daze.

Sasuke nodded and she let herself slide down the wall and sat down. Sasuke sat next to her. They stayed quiet for a while neither one knowing what to say.

"You know I don't expect anything from you. I just thought you should know." Sasuke mumbled.

"I know." She sighed.

Sasuke found that he was disappointed when he realized that she didn't feel anything for him. He was about to stand up when she spoke.

"You know, Sakura's going to kill me when she finds out we're going out."

Sasuke froze. He turned to look at her and she smiled at him. He smirked and shook his head.

"That's if she finds out."

He felt her hand grip his own and he tightened his hold on her hand.

"Yeah, let's hope she doesn't or I'll have to be put into protection from your fanclub."

Sasuke chuckled and found that he felt at ease now that he had told her how he felt. He was glad that she felt the same way and he couldn't care less about what anyone thought. He wouldn't tell her, but now he really wouldn't allow anyone to harm her. She was too important to him.

_**End Chapter Twenty-Two**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ****Tsukinoyo****, Lyris88, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, MistFairie93, jjayno1, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, ****uchiha****hikari****bunnie****booo**** from ****runey****skyheart****, and ****RevolutionAngel**** for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely and annoying ****Rei**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Rei and Sasuke were walking to the ramen shop in celebration of "the cold hearted jerk expressing a feeling other than annoyance" as Rei put it. Sure, she was now going out with Sasuke, but that didn't mean that she would stop annoying him. Sasuke didn't complain as he didn't want people to know, at least not yet. Rei understood as she knew that being close to someone was something completely new to Sasuke. She didn't really care, all she wanted was to be with him. Before she knew he felt something for her she would have been happy just being his friend.

They arrived at the ramen shop and saw Naruto sitting there. Rei smiled, but she heard Sasuke groan. She turned to him and smirked.

"What's wrong _Sasuke__-kun?"_

"Do we really have to go? Can we eat somewhere else? It's not like you'll die if you don't get ramen for one day."

"Hey, you forget I was stuck in the ramen free hospital for a week. I need ramen."

"Fine."

Rei smirked and dragged Sasuke to the shop.

"Hi, Naruto-kun."

"Hi, Rei-chan!"

Rei smiled at Naruto as he smirked with a mouthful of ramen. Sasuke sat down and pulled Rei down next to him as he ordered the food.

"Geez, Sasuke, you're in a good mood." She said sarcastically.

"What's wrong with the jerk?"

"Oh, he's just grumpy, which isn't really strange."

"Here you go!" The shopkeeper said.

"Itadakimasu!" Rei said as she began to eat.

Sasuke looked at her and shook his head. He could not believe he was going out with her. He smirked. At least she wasn't a fangirl. Suddenly, he thought of what Sakura would do if she found out. He shuddered at the thought. He wasn't looking forward to her finding out and he knew she would eventually find out, no matter how well he tried to hide it. He sighed and Rei turned to look at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

She raised and eyebrow in disbelief. He sighed and moved closer.

"I was just thinking of what Sakura will do when she finds out."

"Ugh! Can you not mention that when I'm eating?"

Sasuke smirked and started eating.

"So, what are you two doing together? I thought you couldn't train yet, Rei-chan." Naruto said.

"Oh, well, I told Sasuke he owed me for saving his sorry but from Hametsu and I was able to convince him into treating me to some ramen." She said smirking.

Naruto smirked and Sasuke just tried to stop his eye from twitching. They ate and talked and after a while they left. Naruto stayed for a behind as he was now on his fourth bowl. Rei and Sasuke walked around the village for a while and although Sasuke remained as serious as ever, he had to admit, at least to himself, that he was having fun. He liked spending time with Rei and he was glad that he had told her how he felt. Now he could spend more time with her and he felt better and more relaxed when he was around her. Still, he had to admit, he would have liked to spend some time alone with her and stop pretending that they were just friends that liked to annoy the hell out of each other. For once he would like to sit down and have a decent conversation with her. He didn't think that was too much to ask.

As he thought about this he realized that there was a lot that he didn't know about her. He didn't know why she had been sent to Konoha or what had happened to her family. She didn't know much what she liked apart from ramen and annoying him. He realized that he really needed to talk to her. Another thing he wanted to talk about was his past. If he was going to ask her about her past he thought it was only fair to tell her about his. But there was another reason. He wanted to make sure that she understood that his goal in life was to seek power and to kill the one who had killed his family. He knew that he had to tell her as she would eventually find out. As they walked they passed by the park. Sasuke took her along it and sat down on a bench. She sat next to him and yawned.

"What, you're tired?"

"No, it's just that you're so boring." She said smirking.

"Shut up, you brat." He smirked back.

He sighed and Rei looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Rei, how is it that you were brought here?"

"Why do you want to know that?"

"I just want to know you better. I realized that I don't really know much about you."

She sighed.

"Sasuke, do you really care that much about my past?"

"No, but…"

"Then don't worry about it."

He frowned.

"I'll tell you some other time. Geez, you're nosy." She said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Shut it." He said smirking.

She stuck out her tongue.

"Make me." She sneered.

"Fine."

He leaned in closer to her and kissed her. He smirked as she kissed him back. She put her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer and held her around her waist. He broke the kiss and she didn't say anything. She just looked at something behind him. He turned around and groaned. Sakura was standing there looking like she had just been slapped. She turned around and ran off.

"Crap." Sasuke said.

"Now the whole village will know."

"You think that's bad? I'll probably have your whole damn fanclub after me." She whined.

Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle. She looked up at him surprised.

"Did you just laugh?"

"Shut up."

"Well sorry, but it's not everyday you express something other than anger."

"Come on, I'll take you home."

"Awww, are you worried about me?"

"Yeah, I'm worried Sakura will kill you on your way home." He smirked.

"Oh, shut up."

They stood up and began to walk.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun, do you think we can go train tomorrow?"

"Sasuke-kun?" He asked grinning.

Rei blushed and he smirked.

"What? I can go back to calling you a jerk if you want. Besides, by tomorrow the whole village will know. Do you know what this is going to do to my reputation as the only non- Sasuke-obsessed girl in Konoha?"

"Fine, you know I don't care, it just sounds weird coming from you."

"Oh, right, like kissing me isn't weird at all."

"Alright, now you're being annoying."

She grinned.

"So, can we train tomorrow?"

"Alright, but just for a while. You just got out of the hospital."

"I know, I know."

"So, I guess I have to call you Rei-chan now?"

"Ugh, just call me Rei."

"Alright, _Rei-chan_."

He smirked and she just punched him lightly on his arm. As they walked she couldn't help but think of what Sakura would do. She didn't really like her, but she felt bad for her. She reminded herself that it wasn't her fault, but she was a bit worried of what she would do. Even though her and Sasuke joked about it she knew that Sakura would at least say something. It was bad enough when she saw them walking together when they had just met. She tried to forget about that and focused more on what was happening then. She smiled and held Sasuke's hand. She couldn't help but chuckle as he blushed and she only laughed more when he turned away. Even though she teased him and annoyed him she really cared about him and she was glad she could be with him. She felt him hold her hand tighter and smiled. It might take him a while to actually say it, but she knew that he cared about her as well.

_**End Chapter Twenty-Three**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. You can thank my friend for the fluff. It was requested by her when she visited me today so yeah. Sayonara!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ****Uchiha**** Sasha, MistFairie93, Lyris88, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, ****RevolutionAngel****Tsukinoyo****tru-viet****, and ruler of dragons for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but ****Rei**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Rei woke up and yawned as her eyes adjusted to the morning light streaming from the window in her room. She sat up and rubbed her eyes before getting out of bed and into the shower. She winced as the water hit her. After getting dressed she went to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast which consisted of ramen. As she waited for the ramen to be ready she drank her first energy drink of the day. Sure, she was usually happy and hyper, but the happy didn't make itself, especially in the morning. If there was one thing that most people should be glad to not know was that Rei was not a morning person.

She stepped out of her house and headed for the training grounds. She was supposed to train with Sasuke for a while and that was one of the few things that made her get out of bed that day. Not that she was over excited, in fact, she should have been at the training grounds an hour ago. She smirked at the idea of Sasuke standing there waiting for her while he thought of different ways to kill her. However, she knew that that wouldn't happen. If there was one thing she could say about Sasuke was that he was a fast learner. He had learned about her annoying little habits quickly and so she doubted that he had actually showed up in time. She thought he would probably be making his way there too by that time.

As she walked through the village she tried to ignore the subtle glares she was getting from some of the girls she passed. Of course that was only some of the girls, most of them weren't so subtle. She sighed as she knew she would have to get used to being at the top of the most wanted list of Sasuke's fan club. She smirked at the thought. Something about annoying almost every girl in the village without meaning to was strangely satisfying. Oh how she loved to bother people.

She dumped the empty soda can in a thrash can and continued with her walk. As she walked she sensed someone watching her. She frowned when she realized who it was. She sighed and stopped as the person appeared. It was Sakura and she looked rather displeased to say the least.

_'Damn.' _She thought.

_'And the morning was going so well too. Oh well, I was bound to run into her sooner or later.' _

As she thought this she knew it wasn't true. She hadn't just run into her. She had been looking for her, maybe even waiting. She walked over to her and put on one of her fake smiles. The one she used when she liked to pretend nothing was wrong. It was one of her more popular smiles.

"Hello, Sakura." She said in an overly pleasant voice.

"There's no need to be so polite I guess you're going to see Sasuke-kun, aren't you? Well, just stay away from him. I've worked hard to get close to him and I won't let you come and take him away."

Rei chuckled.

"I see you like to get straight to the point. Well, I won't complain, the sooner we clear this up the better. As you said, I'm going to meet Sasuke right now so we can train and I'm already running a bit late." She said calmly and still wearing a smile.

"We don't have anything to clear up. Just stay away from him."

Rei smirked. She really didn't want to say anything that could hurt Sakura as they were teammates, but she was getting annoyed. She sighed.

"Sakura, I'm sorry if you feel that I took Sasuke from you, but I'm afraid you're wrong. All I did was talk to him and treat him like a friend instead of an idol. If you want Sasuke, it's too late, but I advice you to stop worshipping him, maybe you can be his friend then."

Rei moved to walk away, but Sakura threw a punch. She caught it easily and glared at her. She tightened her hold on her fist and made her flinch. She sighed and released her.

"Please, don't be reckless. I have no desire to fight my teammate." She said as she walked away.

"Stop making fun of me! Do you think you're better than me? Do you think you're stronger? Why do you always have to show off?"

Rei stopped and turned to look at Sakura. She could see that she was upset, but she was utterly pissed off. Here was a kunoichi whose only talent was stalking Sasuke. She was utterly useless in ninjutsu and was the worst at taijutsu and yet she was accusing her of showing off. She glared and walked up to her. She slapped her and she just looked back up at her in shock.

"Don't you ever say that I just show off. If you can't even block that you have no right to criticize others. Ever since I met you you have held nothing but contempt for me because of the fact that I don't waste my time fussing about my appearance. At first, I thought that Sasuke was a jerk for ignoring you so much and up until now I still thought that. But now, I see that I shouldn't have blamed him. You are nothing but a spoiled brat. You don't know how hard it is to be strong when you have no one to help you. All your life you have had a family and friends that protected you and so now that you see how weak you really are you blame those who are stronger for your failure."

"Shut up! You don't know anything. You don't know how it feels to work so hard to get to know someone and then to have someone take them away."

Rei chuckled.

"So, you think you know Sasuke. Then tell me, do you know anything that any other girl in Konoha can't tell me? Do you know anything that has to do with his character? Do you really know what he's really like beneath his serious personality?"

Sakura looked at her and realized that after all the years she had chased after Sasuke she didn't really know him. Rei knew what she was thinking and sighed.

"See, you really don't know him after all do you? Well, I guess you really aren't too good at learning about people are you? After all you see Naruto as a moron, when he is far stronger and more capable than you. I suggest you work on your people skills."

Sakura watched as she turned around and felt herself shaking with anger. She stood up and charged at Rei. She turned around and calmly dodged.

"Sakura, stop this. I told you I don't want to fight."

"No, I'll show you how strong I really am!"

She took out a kunai and got ready to fight. Rei frowned.

"Tch, annoying girl. She really doesn't know when to give up."

Sakura ran towards Rei and as she got closer to her she jumped up and threw some shuriken. Rei sighed and jumped back. She dodged as Sakura tried to kick her and kicked her instead. Sakura hit a tree and Rei threw some shuriken which circled around the tree. She pulled on some thin strings attached to the shuriken and Sakura was trapped. She walked over to her and sighed.

"Give up, Sakura, it's too late. I'll let you go, but please don't try something like this again. As I said before, I have no desire to fight my teammate, but I will if I have to."

Rei let Sakura go and continued walking to the training grounds. She hated to be so cold, but she really had no choice and Sakura had really annoyed her.

"She should just be grateful I went easy on her." She mumbled.

She arrived at the training grounds and smirked when she saw Sasuke laying down on the grass. She wondered if he had actually waited fro her. She snuck over to him and was about to attack/glomp him when he smirked.

"Don't even think about it."

"You're no fun." She pouted.

"Then by all means leave."

"Fine I will."

She stood up to leave and Sasuke opened his eyes to look at her.

"You're not really going to leave are you?"

"Well, why shouldn't I?"

She smirked as she had her back turned to him.

"Well…because…we have to train."

"We can train some other time."

She took a step forward.

"Wait."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

Sasuke glared at her for making him do this. He knew she was trying to annoy him.

"Do you really have to do this?" He said irritated.

"Do what?" She said innocently.

"I'm just doing what you told me to do. You told me to leave. Unless you want me to stay I'll be leaving now."

Sasuke tried to keep his eye from twitching.

"Fine, stay."

"Why?" She said grinning.

"Because I want to train."

"Oh, well, that's not nice. I guess you really don't want me here."

"Rei, wait, I do."

"You do what?"

"I do want you to stay." He said through gritted teeth.

"Why do you want me to stay?"

"Because…I want to…be with you…"

He glared at her as she walked over to him and sat down.

"Well, that wasn't so hard was it?"

Sasuke just glared.

"You know, you really have to work on your attitude."

"Shut up you brat."

"Stop being so grumpy, why are you mad today?"

"I'm not mad."

"You're still grumpy."

Sasuke sighed and laid down again crossing his arms beneath his head.

"I'm grumpy because my airheaded girlfriend made me wait an hour and a half in the training grounds just so she could annoy me."

Rei laughed and Sasuke looked up at her as he propped himself up on his elbows.

"What now?" He groaned.

"You just said I was your girlfriend."

"What? No I didn't!"

Rei just laughed at his expression.

"Relax, there's no one around so I think your reputation as a cold hearted jerk is still intact."

"Yeah, right. I bet the whole village knows by now. Sakura probably told everyone already." He said as he laid down again.

"Oh, now that you mention it I ran into her on my way here." She said casually.

Sasuke looked at her.

"Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. It wasn't too bad really. She was annoying, but I don't think she'll bother me. Actually, I think the other girls are more annoying."

"Why?"

"They just keep glaring. It's kind of creepy." She shivered.

Sasuke chuckled.

"What are you laughing at? I can't wait until Naruto hears about this. I wonder what he's going to say." She grinned.

Sasuke groaned.

"Please don't mention that."

"Oh, what's wrong? Is Sasuke-kun ambarassed?" She said mockingly.

He looked away and she smiled.

"Hey, Sasuke, did you really wait here for an hour and a half?"

"Yeah."

"Why, you know I'm always late."

"I thought that for once you would be on time."

"Really? Well, I think that was very silly of you. After all you know it's one of my habits. So, the way I see it, you're either really stupid this morning."

Sasuke glared at her.

"Or, you needed time to think about something."

Sasuke sighed.

"You know, I still don't understand how you can be so annoying and so clever at the same time."

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Never mind, I'll tell you later."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

He stood up and held his hand out to Rei. She took it and he helped her up. She yawned and he smirked.

"Are you sure you want to train today?"

"Of course I want to train today! Stop being lazy."

"I'm not lazy."

"Suuure you're not. Now come on, I want to train."

She ran off to the other side of the field and Sasuke smirked. He was actually looking forward to training with her again. It had been a while since they had fought. Still, he knew he had to go easy on her as she had just gotten out of the hospital. He sighed. That wasn't too bad. At least they would have some time after training to talk. He shook his head. It was funny how he actually looked forward to spending time with her. She was the only person that could annoy him and make him happy at the same time. Although he wouldn't tell her and he wouldn't even admit it to himself he was starting to love her. He smiled as she waved at him and stuck out her tongue. Sure she was childish, but at least she wasn't a fangirl.

_**End Chapter Twenty-Four**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. If you want more fluff review and tell me. Also, if anyone wants to talk to me about the story or something else you should start an account at Look for Rei-chan69 and PM me. I'll get back to you. Sayonara!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ****Uchiha**** Sasha, Mistfairie93, ****RevolutionAngel****Valinor's**** Twilight, ****Skyheart****, tru-viet, and ruler of dragons for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely ****Rei**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

Sasuke and Rei trained for a while until Sasuke thought that they should stop. He didn't want Rei to get hurt and she had just gotten out of the hospital so he had been holding back a bit. He hoped she hadn't noticed. He knew she would be annoyed if she knew. He walked up to where she was laying down and sat next to her.

"Sasuke, you jerk! You were holding back!"

Sasuke sighed and cursed his luck.

"What's the point of training if you hold back!?!"

"Rei, calm down. I only held back because you just got out of the hospital. If you strain yourself you could get hurt."

Rei smacked him on the head and Sasuke frowned at her.

"What was that for?"

"For being a moron! I don't care about getting hurt! How am I going to get stronger if I never get hurt?"

Sasuke looked at her and smirked.

"Fine, I won't hold back anymore."

"You better not!"

Sasuke sighed and laid down next to her. She really was different. He smirked. He was glad she was different or things would be boring. He heard her yawn and looked over at her.

"Are you really that tired? I didn't know training with me was so hard." He said mockingly.

Rei glared at him.

"Keep it up Uchiha and you'll be single again."

Sasuke smirked.

"Hn."

"Okay, honestly, you have to stop saying that. It's not even a word." She said annoyed.

"Hn." Sasuke said smirking.

She glared at him and he chuckled.

"And you say I'm annoying."

"Hn."

She turned to glare at him again and punched him lightly on his arm. He just smirked and she sighed.

"You know, I still don't see why you have so many fangirls as annoying as you are."

"That's strange, after all, you're the one dating me."

Rei frowned and stuck out her tongue. Sasuke chuckled.

"You look cute when you do that."

Rei looked at him in mild surprise. Sasuke turned to her and grinned.

"What's wrong?" He said amused.

"You just said I was cute. Are you sick or something?" She said.

She placed her hand on his forehead and he chuckled. He pulled her to him and kissed her. He broke the kiss and smiled at her.

"Well, like you said, there's no one around and the whole village probably knows by now. Besides, I always thought you were cute, I just never admitted it."

Rei smiled.

"Oh, so the great Uchiha actually likes girls? I thought you were disgusted by them."

"Shut up you brat."

Sasuke wrapped his arm around her waist and they just laid there for a while looking at the sky. As they laid there, Sasuke remembered that there was something he had to tell her.

"Rei?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember that I told you there was someone I wanted to kill?"

"Yeah, you said it was the man that killed your clan."

"That's right. I never told you who that man was."

Sasuke felt her shift next to him.

"It's your brother, right?"

He turned to her, surprised and saw that she looked serious.

"How do you know that?"

"When I met you I thought that you and I were similar. We both had lost our family and we were both alone, but we were different. You're always serious and I wanted to know why you always shunned those around you. After you told me you wanted to kill the one who had murdered your clan I found out that your brother had done it."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it doesn't matter, at least not to me."

She turned to him and held him as she buried her face in his chest.

"Sasuke, I don't want you to be sad, so please, stop thinking so much about revenge."

Sasuke just laid there. He didn't know what to say. He sighed.

"I'm sorry, but I have to avenge my clan."

He felt her grip tighten as the words stung her. So his revenge was worth more. She released him and sighed. She stood up and Sasuke followed. She began to walk away and Sasuke just stood there. He sighed and then she turned to him and he was surprised to see her smiling.

"Well, are you coming? I don't know about you, but I'm starved."

Sasuke smiled and walked up to her.

"Fine, but I'm paying and no complaining."

She smiled, but Sasuke noticed that something wasn't right about the way she smiled. He knew that she was still upset about his vow to avenge his clan. He didn't want her to think that she didn't matter, but he had to kill Itachi. She was the most important person to him, but he couldn't just forget about his promise to kill his brother.

* * *

Sasuke sighed and ignored the glares that were directed at Rei as they walked through town. He had to admit, those girls really had it in for her. He guessed he would just have to stay close to her to prevent someone from trying to kill her. He smirked and Rei looked over at him. 

"Why are you smirking?" She asked suspiciously.

"It doesn't matter."

"Riiiiight." She said.

They ate some ramen and Rei noticed with much amusement that Sasuke became a lot more relaxed when he saw that Naruto wasn't at the shop. She chuckled and Sasuke tunred to look at her.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. But you're going to have to deal with him sooner or later."

"Deal with who? I don't know who you're talking about."

Rei smirked.

"Suuure you don't."

They finished their ramen and went for a walk around the village. Sasuke then took Rei to the top of the monument to the Hokages as he knew she was getting annoyed by all of the glares the girls shot at her. Still, he couldn't help but chuckle at her. When they got there they looked out above the village. Sasuke turned to Rei and smiled as he saw that she was no longer in a bad mood.

"Sorry about the fangirls."

Rei turned to him and grinned.

"That's alright, although I still don't get why they like you so much."

Sasuke smirked.

"Well, why don't you find out?"

Rei stared at Sasuke.

"Please stop doing that, it creeps me out."

Sasuke's eye twitched and she laughed. He smiled and looked over at the town.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn."

"Thanks for being honest with me."

He looked at her a bit confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you didn't have to tell me about your plans to kill your brother, but you did. I know that you vowed to get revenge for your clan and although I don't like it I know that there's nothing I can do to change your mind. Still, I'm glad you told me. You gave me a choice, although you didn't say so. You made me choose if I wanted to stay with you even knowing about your goal or if I wanted to leave you."

Sasuke looked at her not knowing what to say. She was right, that was what he had meant to do. He had given her a chance to change her mind about being with him.

"I know that to you getting revenge is very important and I know that it is your top priority, but I want to be with you. I don't expect you to put aside your plans for me and so I made up my mind that I want to help you. If it's the only way for me to stay with you then I want to help you get you revenge."

She held Sasuke who just stood there stunned.

"I care about you and that's why I don't want you to have to go through with this by yourself."

Sasuke couldn't believe what she had said. He knew she was upset about it and although he knew she understood his reasons he had never expected her to want to help him. Then again, she was similar to him, she had also lost her family and now that he thought about it, it was only obvious that she would want revenge on whoever was responsible as well. He guessed that was why she understood him. However, he felt bad for making her think that she didn't matter. It amazed him that she was so willing to put him and his goals before herself. He sighed and held her.

"Rei, I care about you too and that's why I can't let you help me. Things might get too dangerous. You're right, revenge is important to me, but you're important to me too."

"But which matters to you the most?" She said in a low, pained voice.

Sasuke didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to hurt her and so he didn't answer. Rei composed herself and smiled at him.

"Well, it doesn't matter for now."

"Yeah."

Sasuke looked away. He was still thinking about what had just happened. It always amazed him how fast she could recover and get back to her old self. But he knew that wasn't true. Even as he glanced at her and saw her smiling he knew she wasn't the same. He sighed and looked down. Rei frowned, but quickly smiled again and walked up to Sasuke.

"Stop being so grumpy. It's still early so why don't we go to the park?"

Sasuke looked at her and smirked.

"What are you too afraid to go somewhere close to any fangirls?"

"Shut it you moody jerk."

He grinned and they walked to the park. They sat in a high branch in a tree and looked up at the sky. Sasuke smirked as he felt her lean into him. He looked down at her and saw that she was starting to fall asleep. He didn't say anything to wake her as she had worked hard during training and he knew she needed to rest. It had been a long day and to be honest, he felt like sleeping too. He held her close so she wouldn't fall and after a while he jumped down with her in his arms. He sighed and began to walk to his house. He knew she would probably be annoyed in the morning, but his house was closer and he didn't feel like carrying her all the way to her house.

When he arrived eh laid her down on his bed and sighed. He looked at her and smirked. She looked peaceful while she slept and it was funny to him as he knew she was anything but peaceful. Who would have guessed that she was really on annoying, clumsy, stubborn girl? Still, he was glad she was like that. He was glad to have her there for him and to have her care so much about him. He stifled a yawn and sat on the bed. He laid down and held her. He saw no harm in staying with her for a few minutes. Unfortunately, he fell asleep while holding her. The next day would prove to be interesting from the start.

_**End Chapter Twenty-Five**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and you can thank the people who reviewed and asked for more fluff and my friend who almost nagged me to death for more fluff. Anyways, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to tru-viet, Uchiha Sasha, jjayno1, Valinor's Twilight, MistFairie93, RevolutionAngel, ruler of dragons, and Lyris88 ****for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Sasuke woke up and felt something strangely warm and soft in his arms. He looked down and was surprised to see Rei laying there asleep. Then he remembered that he had laid down to rest, but had fallen asleep. He sighed and hoped she wouldn't react too badly when she woke up. Still, he didn't dare move as he was one of the few unfortunate people that knew she was not a morning person. Because of this he knew that if he woke her up she would be…annoyed, at being woken up. He laid there for a while and as his arm began to grow numb from holding Rei she began to stir. He watched as she groaned and opened her eyes, squinting at the morning light. Once her eyes were used to the light she noticed Sasuke looking at her with an amused expression. He could see that she was surprised and he was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Sasuke!?! What the hell-"

Before she could say anything else the door burst open and Rei watched in horror as a very familiar person stepped in.

* * *

Naruto was walking to the ramen shop to get some breakfast when he saw Sakura. He smiled and walked over to her. 

"Hey! Sakura-chan!"

She turned to Naruto and groaned.

"Sakura-chan, where are you going?"

She sighed and looked at Naruto.

"I thought I would go see Sasuke and ask him if he wanted to work on our teamwork since we haven't had any missions for a while."

Naruto grinned.

"That's a good idea, why don't I go with you and then we can go get Rei-chan too."

Sakura groaned, but Naruto just dragged her to Sasuke's house. Soon they were in front of his house and although Naruto wanted to just scream at Sasuke and get him to come outside Sakura wanted to actually go in and get him. They walked into the house and couldn't find Sasuke.

"Maybe he's still asleep." Sakura said thoughtfully.

""Well then let's wake him up!" Naruto said energetically.

Before Sakura could stop him Naruto had run to Sasuke's room and barged in. She turned to follow him and suddenly stopped when Naruto screamed.

"Oh my God!!! You guys slept together!!!"

Sakura ran over to see what had happened and froze at what she saw.

* * *

Rei sat up in bed and looked at Naruto. She could feel her cheeks burning and knew she was blushing. She glanced at Sasuke and almost laughed at his reaction. He wasn't blushing, instead he looked so pale she wondered if he had died of embarrassment. She watched as his expression changed from surprise to anger. She turned to Naruto in time to see Sakura appear at the door. She looked at them and froze as Naruto freaked out next to her. The whole situation would have been hilarious if she hadn't been the one caught in bed with Sasuke. 

"Oh man, I knew it!!! I can't believe this!!! Wait till Kakashi-sensei hears about this!!!"

Rei felt like smacking Naruto, but she was distracted by Sasuke as she felt him move next to her. She turned to look at him and saw him shaking with anger. Sure, she was a bit angry at Naruto, but it wasn't enough to let Sasuke kill him. She looked at her blonde comrade.

"Naruto, run."

He looked at her confused for a moment, but then took off as Sasuke stood up. Rei sighed and got up. She knew sakura was still standing by the door, but she didn't really know hat to say. Actually, she knew there was nothing she could say as she doubted Sakura would listen to her. She went out and began to follow the trail the boys had left. It was fairly obvious whichi way they had gone as the chase had left a small trail of destruction. She sighed and hoped that Naruto would still be alive by the time she caught up.

* * *

Naruto ran as fast as he could and was relieved when he got to the marketplace. He smirked as he thought of a way to lose Sasuke in the crowd. He kept running, desperately looking for a place to hide. He could feel Sasuke's murderous intent behind him and knew he was close. He was about to give up and say goodbye to the cruel world of shinobi, his only regret being that he hadn't gotten to be Hokage when someone pulled him to the side. He was about to say something when the person covered is mouth and whispered in his ear. 

"Calm down, it's just me."

Rei let Naruto go and made a few hand signs. Naruto didn't know what she had done, but was relieved when he saw Sasuke run by looking like he wanted to murder someone. After he had passed by Naruto turned to Rei. As he turned to her he felt a sharp pain in his head.

"Ow."

Rei smirked after smacking him on the head.

"What was that for?" Naruto whined.

"For being an idiot. Don't you know how to knock?"

Naruto smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry about that, but what were you guys doing?"

Rei smacked him again.

"Naruto, you jerk! What do you take me for? What do you mean what were you guys doing? I fell asleep and Sasuke took me to his house!"

"Okay, okay, just don't hit me." He said holding his arms up in defense.

Rei sighed and calmed down.

"Hey, Rei-chan, why didn't Sasuke see us?"

"I used genjutsu to hide us, it's down now."

"Oh, so, how come Sasuke was with you?"

"I guess he must have fallen asleep."

"Riiiight."

"Naruto…" She said holding up her fist.

"Sorry! Please don't hit me!"

"Then stop being stupid. Now, I'll take care of Sasuke so just try to hide out for a while."

"You mean you're not mad?"

"Oh, I'm mad, I just don't want you to die before I can get back at you."

Naruto shuddered as he thought back to what had happened the last time she had been mad at him.

"Alright, I'll go get Sasuke, you go train or something, just stay away from Sasuke for a while."

Naruto nodded and then smirked as Rei was going to leave.

"So, you guys are going out, huh?"

Rei sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Naruto, we're going out."

Naruto began to laugh and Rei felt like kicking him, but thought that she would just save her anger for her revenge.

"Bye, Naruto."

"Bye, Rei-chan, and sorry about barging in."

She smiled and left.

* * *

Sasuke stopped after a while of running and sighed as he looked around. Naruto was nowhere in sight. It was hard to believe that he had actually managed to get away from him. He decided to go back when he remembered Rei. He shuddered as he thought of what she would do to him. He knew she would be angry at him for having slept in the same bed as her, but it wasn't really his fault. He sighed and decided to take his time in going back as he didn't want to deal with an angry Rei. Just as he started walking he stopped and groaned as he heard her call out to him. He turned around and came face to face with Rei. He sighed as he saw the annoyed look on her face. 

"Sasuke! There you are!"

She walked up to him and he was so surprised he didn't have time to move away as she smacked him on the head.

"What the hell was that for!?!"

"For being a moron! Would you care to explain why I woke up in your bed?"

Sasuke looked away and she sighed in exasperation.

"You fell asleep so I took you to my house since it was closer. I was tired and I laid down to rest, but I fell asleep." He said without looking up.

She tried not to laugh as she saw a slight blush cross his face.

"Well, why didn't you wake me up last night?"

"You were tired, you needed to rest."

She shook her head.

"Genious my ass, you're as dumb as a fangirl." She said smirking.

Sasuke glared at her, but his eyes softened when he saw her grinning.

"Whatever." He said smirking.

"Well, I guess I'll go home and get changed. Try not to kill Naruto, it really wasn't his fault."

"Stop defending that loser, he shouldn't have barged in."

"Oh, well, I don't think it was entirely his fault. In case you didn't notice Sakura was there too."

Sasuke remembered seeing Sakura and frowned.

"That's right, well, at least she'll be quiet during our missions for a while."

"You really hate fangirls don't you?"

Sasuke smirked.

"Well, I'll see you later."

She waved and left. Sasuke sighed and walked home to change his clothes as well. He felt a headache approaching and groaned as he knew that today was not a good day.

* * *

After having showered, dressed, and eaten, Rei went out and decided to go check out the weapon store. As she walked she ran into Naruto. She smirked when she noticed how cautious he was being. 

"Hello, Naruto-kun." She said happily.

"Hi, Rei-chan." He said carefully.

"Um, Kakashi-sensei wants to see us."

Rei was a bit surprised as she wasn't expecting any missions, but she wasn't complaining as she was getting bored. She began to walk with Naruto and soon they reached the training grounds. After a while Sakura arrived and then Sasuke got there. Sakura ignored both Rei and Sasuke and Rei felt a bit of pity for the girl. Sasuke glared at Naruto who smirked triumphantly. After about an hour of waiting in a very awkward silence Kakashi arrived.

"Yo."

"You're late!" Rei and Naruto screamed.

"Well, I was walking here when I heard a very interesting rumor about two of my students and I was immersed in conversation."

Sasuke frowned and looked away while Rei tried not to strangle her sensei. Naruto wa laughing as loud as he could and Rei got the urge to smack him while Sasuke tried to burn him to a crisp with his glare. Kakashi just stood there smiling at his students.

"So, why are we here?" Rei said impatiently, trying to shut Naruto up.

Kakashi took out four forms.

"I want to talk to you about the Chunnin Exam."

_**End Chapter Twenty-Six**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for the shortness, but I was out for a while so I wrote this in like an hour and a half. Anyways, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ****Skyheart****, MistFairie93, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, Lyris88, ****Tsukinoyo****Valinor's**** Twilight, Icela1000, ****JustPlainPeachy****, larrycucumber22, star sapphire, and ruler of dragons for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Also, if you guys can could you please look at my profile and tell me what you guys think about the story ideas I listed, it would help. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely and somewhat annoying ****Rei**

**Important Note: **_**, but I really don't want to write about the whole illusion thing that happened when they were going to take the exam so for my sake and for your own don't make me write it. If you want me to write it tell me and if enough people want me to write the whole thing with every little detail I will add on to the chapter, but take into consideration that I don't do well when I don't like what I'm writing. Besides, you guys know the story. So, review.**_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

Team Seven was making their way to the room where they would be taking their exams after having revealed to the other Chunnin that the room they were trying to enter was not the right room, but was just an illusion. The exams hadn't even officially started and they had already met some interesting people. Among the most intriguing were Gaara of the sand, whom they had met in the village along with his teammates and Neji Hyuga who possessed the Byakugan. Rei could tell that Sasuke was looking forward to the exams and the chance to fight with the strongest Gennin. She smiled as she watched him smirking.

As they made their way to the exam room they ran into another interesting person, Rock Lee. Rei had met him already, btu she didn't know anything other than his name. He challenged Sasuke to a fight and although Rei knew that Sasuke was strong there was something about Lee that told her he shouldn't be underestimated. As Sasuke took a step forward towards Lee Rei grabbed his arm. He stopped and looked back at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Sasuke, be careful with this guy. I know he seems weak, but there's something about him that's not right."

Sasuke glanced at Lee and then looked back at Rei. He smirked.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

Rei sighed.

"Fine, just don't get too cocky you arrogant jerk."

Sasuke was about to fight Lee when Naruto intervened. Apparently, Naruto was tired of everyone wanting to fight Sasuke instead of him and so he charged at Lee who easily defeated him. Rei was surprised to see how easily Naruto had been defeated. She looked over at Sasuke and saw him getting ready to fight. She sighed and he glanced at her. He smirked and she just frowned. She knew he was trying to tell her to stop worrying, but after seeing Lee defeat Naruto she wasn't sure the fight would be so easy for Sasuke. Sakura, on the other hand seemed to think that Sasuke was unbeatable. Rei frowned at her as she cheered for him yet again. Now she knew why Sasuke was so annoyed by her. She looked back to the fight and was surprised to see Sasuke getting hit. It wasn't the fact that he was hit that surprised her, but the fact that it had looked like he had managed to block the hit. Sasuke stood up slowly and Rei noticed that his eyes had changed. She realized that he had activated his sharingan.

_'When did he learn to do that?'_ She thought.

She watched as he charged at Lee and although she was suddenly more confident in his ability to win she noticed that Lee didn't seem alarmed. She realized why as Sasuke was sent flying into the air by a powerful kick from Lee. Lee managed to get beneath him while he was still in the air and was about to attack when he was stopped. She didn't look to see who had stopped him as she jumped up to help Sasuke. She managed to help him land safely.

"Are you alright?"

As she looked at him she noticed that he was slightly trembling. She frowned and looked at who had stopped Lee. She was surprised to see a giant turtle yelling at Lee. A moment later a strange man with an uncanny resemblance to Lee appeared. He turned out to be Lee's master. After many agonizingly awkward minutes in which Lee and his teacher cried and hugged they found out about Gai-sensei's acquaintance to Kakashi. Rei was only too glad to see the strange duo leave although she had to admit, they were pretty funny.

She turned to Sasuke and frowned. She knew he was still upset about the result of the fight. She was about to say something when Naruto told him how useless his sharingan was and how his clan wasn't that great. Sasuek looked like he wanted to murder Naruto and Rei was getting ready to break up a fight when Naruto pointed something out.

"You saw his hands right? He probably trains harder than you."

Rei watched as Sasuke shook with anger and then relaxed suddenly.

"Looks like things are finally starting to get interesting." He said as he smirked.

"Let's go."

* * *

Soon they arrived at the exam room. When they got there they net Kakashi outside and after a few encouraging (at least for him) words they entered the room. A few seconds after they entered Rei saw Sasuke stumble next to her and heard a loud and irritatingly shrill voice. She looked at Sasuka and it took all of her self control to keep herself from laughing. Ino had managed to catch Sasuke off guard and had glomped/attacked him. She watched as Ino and Sakura began to argue and smirked at the pleading look she got from Sasuke. She sighed and walked over to him as he struggled to get free from Ino's grasp. As she watched with amusement as Sasuke managed to get free she wondered if Ino knew about her and Sasuke. Unfortunately, her question was promptly answered as Sasuke pulled her to him and placed her arm around his. She sweatdropped, but held onto his arm although not as tightly as Ino had. 

"What am I, your fangirl repellent?" She whispered to him.

"Yeah, at least for now."

Ino turned to Sasuke when she noticed that she no longer had him in her death grip and scowled when she saw Rei holding onto Sasuke, who was doing his best to act casual as he dug his hands in his pocket and looked away. Rei watched with nothing short of interest as Ino's personality quickly changed for the worst.

"Hey, get away from my Sasuke!"

Rei was about to respond when, to her surprise, Sakura answered for her.

"Ino, she's going out with Sasuke."

Rei couldn't help but notice the hint of sadness in her voice when she said that. Ino looked like she had been slapped and glared at Rei before looking back at Sakura.

"Sakura, stop lying, like Sasuke would ever go out with such an ugly girl!"

Rei's eye twitched and Sasuke turned to her as he felt her grip on his arm tighten painfully. He gulped as he saw the look of anger in her eyes. Although Ino was annoying he couldn't help but feel sorry for her as he knew that she would soon face the wrath of Rei. Rei let go of Sasuke and glared at Ino.

"What did you say you mindless fangirl?"

Ino growled.

"I was just pointing out how unsightly you are. I really doubt that Sasuke would go out with someone like you."

Ino smirked wickedly and Rei had to grit her teeth so she wouldn't kill her right there. Sasuke walked up to her.

"Rei, don't waste time."

"Stay out of this." She snapped.

Naruto snickered and Sasuke glared at him. Rei turned back to Ino.

"If I'm ugly then what does that make you?"

Ino growled at Rei as she grinned.

"Shut up! You're just jealous because you're a weak little girl that no boy will ever want."

"I suggest you shut your oversized mouth before this weak little girl shuts it for you for good. Besides, at least I don't throw myself at anything that is of a different gender."

"At least I'm not fat!"

"At least I'm not flat!"

At this comment Sasuke blushed a deep shade of scarlet and Naruto burst out laughing. Hell, even Sakura grinned. Ino looked absolutely furious. She swung at Rei, who just dodged causing Ino to stumble forward clumsily.

"Ha! And you say I'm weak." Rei sneered.

"What's going on Ino?"

They turned around and saw two boys walking towards them. Rei assumed they were Ino's teammates. One was thin and had a ponytail while the other was fat and was munching on a bag of chips. The thin one, who she later found out was named Shikamaru looked around and frowned when she saw Rei.

"Don't tell me you were arguing over Sasuke again." He said lazily.

"Shut up, Shikamaru."

"Ino, stop making enemies, we haven't even started the exams."

Ino growled and glared at Rei who smirked and stuck out her tongue.

"See, not even your teammates like you because you're mean and obnoxious."

Sasuke sighed. He was glad the fight between the two girls was over although it had proved to be entertaining and he had enjoyed watching Rei insult Ino. Still, he felt a little embarrassed for letting her defend him even though he knew she was just defending herself.

Soon, the other rookies had gathered around them and Rei met all of them for the first time. They also met Kabuto who was from Konoha although no one else knew him. He had taken the exam various times and had gathered useful information about the other participants. When he said that he didn't know much about the sound village the shinobi from said village were angered and attacked Kabuto. Strangely enough they managed to injure him although he was not hit. Before anything else could happen the proctor of the first exam arrived and revealed the horrible truth of the first exam. It was a written test.

_**End Chapter Twenty-Seven**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for the shortness. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write.**** Sorry if I have any typos, but I wrote this today as fast as I could.**** Also, I hope you guys can take a look at my profile and tell me what you think about the story ideas I listed. Sayonara!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hello people! Hope you guys ****like this chapter! Thanks to MistFairie93, ****uchiha**** Sasha, larrycucumber2, Lyris88, ****Skyheart****Valinor's**** Twilight, ****uchiha****hikari****tru-viet****, and ruler of dragons for**** reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. ****Also, please tell me which story I should write next. I know I should update the other stories, but I really want to write a new one. ****Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

Everyone sat down according to the number assigned to them. Rei had to sit next to Lee. She smiled at him and looked around to see where the other had been seated. She saw that they were all far from her and sighed. Sasuke smirked at her and she smiled. After Ibiki, the first proctor had explained to them what the first exam consisted of they began. Rei looked at the questions and frowned. They were fairly difficult. She sighed and answered as many as she could. She managed to answer four, but that still left six more questions although the last one would be given at the end.

She looked around to the others and frowned when she saw Naruto. She knew he wouldn't be able to answer the questions and if he cheated and got caught they would all have to leave. She wasn't worried about Sasuke as he would find a way to get through this and Sakura would be able to answer the questions. As she sat there she realized what the purpose of the test was and slumped on her desk. The fact that they expected them to cheat just made things worst and she wondered if Naruto had understood that they were testing their information gathering skills.

As she sat there worrying about her teammate she saw Lee move beside her from the corner of her eye. She glanced at him and saw that he had tied his headband around him forehead. She smirked. She took a guess of why he had chosen to modify his outfit in the middle of the exam and looked up. She grinned as she saw the mirrors in the ceiling reflecting someone's paper. She guessed by the kunai moving the mirrors that it was Ten Ten's test. She smirked and began to copy the answers. She really was lucky to get a seat next to Lee, otherwise she would have had to come up with her own way to cheat and honestly, she was too lazy.

After a while Ibiki finally told them it was time for the last question. She was surprised to hear of the conditions, but didn't care as she knew she would somehow find a way to answer the question. Her only concern was Naruto and by the way Sakura was looking at him she was concerned too. She sighed as she knew that Naruto would take the question. He wouldn't give up no matter what. She was surprised by the number of people that had either left, or had been kicked out for cheating. There was only a small number of people that decided to take the tenth question. She was both surprised and relieved when she heard that there was no tenth question.

Suddenly, a large object crashed through the window and unrolled into a large banner. A woman stepped out of it and introduced herself in a very flamboyant fashion. Rei sweatdropped at the strange woman and was surprised to learn that she was the next proctor. Still, she was relieved that the first exam was over and that by some miracle, they had managed to get through it successfully.

* * *

Rei woke up and growled at the sun as though it had done her some great evil. She sighed and reluctantly got put of bed. She looked at the clock and her eye twitched. 

"Damn, I'm late."

With those words she dashed into the restroom and took what was perhaps the quickest shower of her life. She picked up her things and got dressed as she ran to the kitchen. She grabbed some fruit and stuffed it into her kunai pouch hoping her breakfast wouldn't be stabbed to death. She bit into an apple and rushed to the door. She pulled her shoes on as she held the apple in her mouth and then ran out of her house and towards the training grounds where the test would take place.

"Damn, Sasuke's gonna kill me if I'm late!"

* * *

Sasuke was standing with his teammates and the other Gennin waiting to take the test. He frowned and felt his eye twitch as he looked around and failed to find Rei. 

"I'm going to kill her." He growled.

Somehow he knew she would be late, but he had still hoped she would show up on time. He sighed as he realized that she would never change. He knew he should have gone to pick her up, but he had been stupid enough to trust her with being responsible even knowing how much she loved to sleep until late. He was snapped out of his thoughts as Naruto yelled next to him.

"Hey, look! Rei-chan is here!"

Sasuke turned to where Naruto was pointing and saw her walking towards them. Even though he was annoyed he couldn't help but smirk. From what he could see she had definitely woken up late, but he could also tell that she had tried to be on time. Her clothes were messy and she looked like she had run all the way there. He also noticed with a twinge of concern that she was eating an apple. She got to where they were and smiled sheepishly.

"Um, sorry I'm late, but you see, I was coming here when an old lady asked me for help and-"

"Liar!" Naruto exclaimed

"Kakashi would be proud of you if he heard the lame excuse you came up with."

She turned and glared at Sasuke.

"Oh, shut up."

He smirked and then frowned slightly as she took a bite of her apple and looked around.

"Is that supposed to be your breakfast?" He asked.

"Yeah, so what?"

"You should have eaten something before you left. We still don't know what this test consists of, but if we already did the written part this will probably test our physical abilities."

"Don't worry, I have some fruit in my kunai pouch. Besides, I don't need that much food."

Sasuke sighed and shook his head. Rei smiled at him.

"Sasuke."

He turned to her as she smiled.

"Don't worry." She said happily.

Something about the way she said it calmed him down a bit. He smirked.

Soon Anko, the proctor of the second test arrived and explained the test to them. It was a survival test and Rei was suddenly happy that she had grabbed something to eat. Although she hated to admit it, Sasuke was right. She should have gotten some real food before she left. As she thought about this she heard Naruto arguing and turned around when he had suddenly become quiet. She saw Anko standing behind him and a strange woman standing behind Anko and handing her a kunai. What was disturbing to her was that the woman was using her tongue to hold the kunai. There was something strangely familiar about the woman, but she dismissed the thought as being ridiculous. She would recognize anyone from her past. After the explanation they were given in which they were told they would get one scroll and would have to obtain the other from an opposing team they were given forms to sign. Rei sat next to Sasuke and signed the paper.

"Hey, Sasuke, how long do you think it'll take us to do this exam?"

"I don't know, but I guess we'll probably need all five days."

Rei looked up at the forest and sighed.

"I hate this."

Sasuke turned to her and saw her frowning.

"What's wrong?"

She sighed.

"It's just, I have a bad feeling about this."

Sasuke looked out at the forest and then back at Rei.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll pass this test as well."

"I hope so, but that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"Well, it's just that, I feel like something bad is going to happen. I'm worried, this test is dangerous, Sasuke, people die in it and I don't want anyone of you guys to get hurt."

Sasuke smirked.

"I didn't know you could be so caring."

"Shut up."

Sasuke chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be fine. Besides, I'll be there with you."

Rei smiled.

"I know."

"Rei."

"Yeah?"

"If anything does actually happens, I want you to get out of that place as fast as you can."

Rei looked at him for a minute and then, without warning she smacked him on his head.

"What the hell was that for?"

"For being an idiot! Do you really think I would leave you and the others?"

Sasuke sighed and looked away.

"Fine, just…be careful…."

Rei smiled.

"I know. You have to be careful too. You're not invincible you know. You just happen to be stronger than most, but you're too arrogant."

Sasuke looked at her and smirked.

"Whatever, come on, let's go."

They stood up and went over to the others. They turned in their forms and received a heaven scroll. They went to gate twelve and waited there to be let in. After thirty minutes the gate was opened and they moved into the forest. They began running through the forest, jumping from branch to branch. As they ran Rei couldn't stop thinking of the strange woman they had met before the test. She still seemed familiar and it bothered her. She knew that if she was from her past there was little chance of her being good. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something was going to happen and for a moment she regretted getting into the exams. She sighed and Sasuke noticed. He slowed down and ran next to her.

"Are you alright?"

She grinned.

"Of course I am. I'm just a bit bored. You'd think we would have run into someone by now."

Sasuke smirked and shook his head.

"Yeah, but the test just started, although you do have a point. We should have run into someone."

"Do you think there's any traps around here?"

"Probably, I'll stay in the front and watch out for them."

Sasuke turned to the other two and told them to watch out for traps. Suddenly, they heard a scream. Rei turned to Sasuke.

"I guess the exam just started."

_**End Chapter Twenty-Eight**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Don't forget to check out my profile and vote for the next story I should make. Sayonara!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to**** Tsukinoyo, MYDOGRULES, ruler of dragons, tru-viet, Lyris88, jjayno1, and MistFairie93 ****for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. ****Oh and in the previous chapter, I wasn't sure if the person that gave Anko her kunai was a woman, but it looked like it was. Of course if you saw the anime and I assume you have you should know who the person really is. ****Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

Team Seven stopped and looked out in the direction the sound had come from. They stood on the tree branches wondering what had happened. Sasuke turned to look at Rei and was surprised at how serious she looked. She turned to him and frowned. She looked back to the others.

"Guys, we should keep moving. If we stay here we could be attacked."

"Hey, what do you guys think that was?" Naruto said.

"It was probably someone getting caught in a trap. We should stay quiet and watch out for any sign of movement." Sasuke said.

The others nodded and were about to leave when Rei threw a kunai disturbingly close to Naruto. Everyone looked at what she had hit and sat that her kunai had pierced a snake's head. They turned to her and she turned around ready to leave.

"I hate snakes." She said before jumping off.

Sasuke watched her and took the kunai she had thrown before going after her.

"Here." He said handing her the kunai.

"Thanks."

She took it and put it away.

"Rei, are you alright?"

She turned to Sasuke and realized that he was concerned. She smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"You seem tense."

"Well, I have to be, at least while we're taking the test."

"Hn."

Sasuke looked back at the others and moved up in front of Rei. She frowned knowing that he wasn't convinced that she was being honest. To be fair, he was right she wasn't tense just because of the exam. There was something bothering her, but she couldn't tell him, at least not yet. Still, she felt guilty as Sasuke had been honest with her about his past, but she knew that if she told him he would be upset and apart from that, he could be in danger. She sighed and kept moving. They stopped for a minute to rest and Naruto had to go to the restroom. When he came out he began to act like a moron in saying hoe much he had needed to go to the bathroom and she heard Sakura begin to argue with him. She wasn't paying much attention to them as she was looking around. She turned around when she heard the very familiar sound of someone getting punched. She expected Sakura to have hit Naruto, but was surprised to see that Sasuke had punched him. She was about to walk to where Naruto was to help him, but Sasuke stopped her. She looked back at Naruto and saw why.

"Where's the real Naruto?" He asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Naruto is right handed and you have your shuriken holster on your left leg, furthermore, you're missing the cut the proctor put on Naruto's cheek. You're even worst at Transformation that he is."

Rei saw that Sasuke was right. The guy in front of them was definitely not the real Naruto, but then where was he? Before she could think more about it the guy transformed back into his own form and attacked them. Sasuke countered with a fire jutsu and Rei went to find Naruto. She found him tied up on the ground and freed him. They went over to where Sasuke was fighting and Rei saw that the enemy had managed to get behind him. Naruto threw a kunai and Sasuke caught it with his foot, holding it by using chakra. He threw it at his opponent and hit him in the air. He grabbed the kunai and stabbed him on his shoulder. Rei could see that Sakura was surprised and wondered if she had ever even stabbed someone.

"Don't just stand around! There could be others!" She heard Sasuke say.

She knew he was talking to Sakura as she was the only one that hadn't done anything during the attack. Rei was on guard as she knew Sasuke was right. There could be others around. She was holding a kunai and she saw that Naruto was also alert. The enemy got away before they could do anything.

They sat down and Sasuke said tat they should have a codeword in case they were separated. He chose a ninja song as their codeword and when she heard it, Rei knew Naruto would have trouble remembering it. Even she would have trouble with it, but she knew she would manage to remember if she needed it. As soon as they had agreed upon it another enemy appeared. They were separated, but Rei managed to find Sasuke.

"What's the code?" He asked as he held a kunai.

Rei told him the code, although it wasn't an easy task and Sasuke allowed her to get closer to him. She took out a kunai and Sasuke turned to her.

"Be careful and stay close to me. Don't let anyone get close no matter who they look like."

She nodded and a few seconds later Sakura found them. She said the code and then Naruto arrived. He also said the code correctly, but Rei saw Sasuke smirk. Suddenly he threw a kunai at Naruto and she realized that it wasn't Naruto. She frowned and wondered why she hadn't realized it before. She heard Sakura asking Sasuke why he had attacked Naruto.

"That's not Naruto." Rei told her.

The fake Naruto transformed into her original form and Rei saw that it was the woman (is it a woman?) from earlier.

"How did you know that I was a fake?"

"I knew you were listening to us from underground and so I decided to make the codeword like that. I knew Naruto would never be able to remember it."

"I see. You want my earth scroll since you guys have the heaven scroll, let's begin the battle for each other's scrolls with our lives."

They watched as their enemy swallowed the scroll and when they looked into her eyes they saw visions of death, their death. They were petrified and Rei found that she couldn't move because of the fear she felt. Rei saw that Sakura was crying and Sasuke was trying to move. She closed her eyes and tried to calm down. Although she hated to admit, it wasn't the first time she was in such a situation as that one. She commanded her body to move. She opened her eyes and saw that Sasuke had stood up. She looked at their enemy and saw her throw some kunai at them. She dodged in time and hid. She looked back and saw with relief that neither Sasuke nor Sakura were there, but her heart sunk as she saw the blood on the ground.

She heard Sakura yell and saw Sasuke appear with a giant snake chasing him. Her eyes widened when she saw the snake and she hoped to God that she was wrong about who their foe could be. Sasuke threw some kunai at the snake and she watched in horror as their enemy emerged from inside the snake. She ran to where Sasuke was as the enemy began to twist around the tree towards Sasuke.

* * *

Sasuke was relieved to see that Rei was fine, but he was concerned when he saw the look on her face. He could see that she was scared, but he had never seen her that scared. She hadn't looked so terrified, even when they fought against Hametsu. She stood in front of him with a kunai and Sasuke pulled her behind him. He would not let her protect him he was the one that would protect her. At that moment he wished that she wasn't there. He wished she was somewhere safe. Although they were all in danger, he really didn't want to see her get hurt. However, he wasn't sure if he would be able to protect her this time.

* * *

Rei was surprised when Sasuke pulled her behind him. She watched as the enemy got closer and was about to push Sasuke out of the way when some kunai got in the way of their foe. She looked up and was relieved to see Naruto. She turned to Sasuke and saw him deactivate his Sharingan. She knew he had come up with an idea. She was surprised to see him take out the scroll. 

"I will give you the scroll….Please take it and leave us."

Rei was shocked and she heard Naruto screaming at Sasuke for offering the scroll to the enemy. Sasuke ignored him and threw the scroll. Naruto jumped and caught it before the enemy got it.

"You bastard! What are you doing?! Do you understand the situation?!" Sasuke exclaimed.

Naruto punched Sasuke and Rei just stood there not knowing what to do.

"You're not the real Sasuke!" Naruto said.

"You moron, it's me!"

"There's no way such a stupid coward like you is the Sasuke I know!"

Rei looked at them with shock. Even though they should have been trying to get away, Naruto was right, Sasuke needed to hear that and at the moment she was too afraid to get him to understand.

"What guarantee is there that he'll leave us if we give him the scroll?"

They heard their enemy laugh.

"You're right Naruto-kun, but I'll just take it now."

Naruto ran towards their enemy.

"Naruto stop!" Rei said.

"No, run away, Naruto!!!" Sasuke cried out.

Rei looked at Sasuke and knew that he wouldn't do anything. She knew he was scared and that was what kept him from moving, but she was disappointed in him. She ran towards Naruto.

"Rei!!! Stop!!!"

Suddenly a giant snake appeared and she knew that, although she hated to admit it, she was sight about who their new enemy was. She jumped out of the way of the snake, but Naruto didn't. She hit a tree and slid down. She stood up ignoring the pain. She watched as Naruto was thrown against a tree and began to fall back down. The snake was ready to eat him, but Naruto punched it. There was something different about Naruto and she could feel that he was stronger. The snake went after Sasuke and she watched in horror as he just stood there.

"Sasuke, run!!!" She screamed.

Before the snake could get to Sasuke Naruto stopped it. Their woman used her tongue to lift Naruto up and Rei watched as she made some hand signs and hit Naruto in the stomach. She then threw the unconscious Naruto to the side and Sakura threw a kunai to hold him up and keep him from falling.

Rei ran towards the strange woman with a kunai in hand. Unfortunately, the woman caught her and punched her in the stomach. She grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up. Rei glared at her amused expression.

"Well, it's been a long time since I last saw you, Rei-chan."

"Let me go, Orochimaru." She hissed venomously.

Orochimaru chuckled. Sasuke watched as Rei spoke with the strange woman. He was surprised to see that she knew her.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, after all, I've been looking for you for a while."

Rei froze and felt her blood freeze with fear. She shuddered as she looked into those eyes, that she had never wanted to see again. She could feel tears welling in her eyes and wished someone would help them. She hadn't felt so scared since the day her parents had died and she had escaped.

"No, I won't go back!!!"

She tried to punch Orochimaru, but couldn't. She was thrown into a tree and as she slammed into it she felt something wrap around her. She looked down and saw that it was string attached to some shuriken. It was tight and she could feel it cutting into her skin. She glared at Orochimaru, but couldn't hide the fear in her eyes.

* * *

Sasuke watched in horror as Rei was thrown and tied to a tree. He wanted to help her, but he was scared. He looked at her and felt terrible when he saw the fear in her eyes. She needed him and he wasn't doing anything to help her. 

_'I have to protect her! I have to be strong!'_

He activated his Sharingan and got ready to fight. He took out various kunai and shuriken and attacked. He used the Sharingan Windmill Triple Blade attack and burned Orochimaru's face off.

"Who the hell are you!!!?" Sasuke said.

"My name is Orochimaru, but I would have thought that Rei would have told you."

* * *

Rei frowned from where she was and glared at Orochimaru. She couldn't believe what was happening. She had tried so hard to forget about him and lead a normal life. She supposed she should have known better. She knew she wouldn't be able to have a normal life for a while. Still, she had to try, at least for Sasuke.

* * *

Sasuke froze. How did he know Rei? What the hell was going on? 

"How do you know her?"

"Let's just say that she had the privilege to train with me. Unfortunately, her training wasn't finished, but I'll take care of that."

They watched as Orochimaru burned the scroll.

"If you want to see me again then survive and pass this exam."

"We don't want to see your face again!" Sakura said.

"I think Sasuke disagrees. After all, if he wants to see Rei again he'll have to see me again. But just in case…"

Rei watched in horror as Orochimaru extended his neck.

"Sasuke run!!!"

It was too late and Sasuke was bitten on the neck. She watched as he doubled over in pain and began to scream. Orochimaru approached her and grabbed her. She could feel the tears running down her cheeks as she heard Sasuke screaming and saw him shaking with pain. He looked at her and she could see the pain in his eyes. She felt something hit her neck and everything went dark. The last things she heard were Orochimaru laughing and Sasuke screaming.

_**End Chapter Twenty-Nine**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I couldn't resist. Oh yeah, I won't be able to update for about a month. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara! Oh, and ****I was kidding, I'll update soon.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ruler of dragons, ****tru-viet****, MYDOGRULES, ****Tsukinoyo, ****Skyheart****, MistFairie93, Lyris88, Eterna1, ****Valinor'****s**** Twilight, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, ****and Lady ****Moonaya****for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty**

Rei woke up and found herself lying on the ground. She groaned as she felt her neck throbbing with pain. Actually, her whole body hurt. She sat up and saw that her hands and feet were tied up. She frowned when she remembered what had happened.

"Good to see you're up, Rei-chan."

Rei turned around and scowled at the person that had spoken.

"I wish I hadn't woken up." She growled.

Orochimaru chuckled.

"That's too bad. I thought you would be happy to know that I will continue to train you."

"I would rather die."

"If you weren't so useful I would have killed you a long time ago."

Rei glared at him and he smirked wickedly. He turned to two other men whom she assumed were supposed to be his teammates during the exam.

"I have something to take care of. Take her away and make sure she doesn't run away or alerts someone that we're here."

The two men nodded and one of them picked her up. Rei scowled at Orochimaru as she was carried off. As soon as she couldn't see him she smirked. She was glad he had been stupid enough to leave her with the other two. She knew she wouldn't escape while he was watching her, but she could if he wasn't there. She knew that Orochimaru wanted her alive and so running away would be easier. She waited until they were far from Orochimaru and put her plan to action.

She reached into her pouch for a kunai as her hands were tied behind her back. She cut the rope without the men noticing and smirked knowing that if they hadn't noticed escaping from them would be easy. She quickly killed the man that was carrying her by slitting his throat and jumped away. As she was in the air she cut the ropes on her feet. She jumped on a tree branch and ran as fast as she could. The other man was caught off guard and didn't react in time. By the time he realized what had happened Rei was out of his sight. He only managed to throw a kunai, which somehow hit her on her side. He growled and ran after her.

Rei could sense the other man approaching her and knew she wouldn't be able to outrun him while she was injured. She frowned as she knew she would have to kill him as well. She really didn't like killing people, but she had accepted it as part of being a shinobi. She guessed she had to thank Orochimaru for that. He was the one who taught her to kill and her training sometimes consisted of slaughtering weaker shinobi. That was why she had left. She had hated killing, but she knew that if she didn't she would die and so she had continued. She hated herself for that and no matter what she did she would always carry that with her.

She stopped and set up some explosive tags on some trees. She hid and waited for the man to arrive. Soon the man appeared. He noticed the tags and stopped before crossing the trees. She smirked. She had expected him to do that. In fact, she had set up the tags so that he would see them. She threw some shuriken with string attached to them. The shuriken circled around the man and tangled themselves in the trees. She emerged from her hiding spot and looked at the man who glared at her.

"What does Orochimaru want? Why is he here?"

"I don't know." He struggled to say.

She pulled on the string and it tightened painfully around the man.

"I…don't…know…"

She sighed. He was telling the truth. She knew because she could tell he was scared. He didn't want to die.

"Tell me, how do you want to die?"

The man looked at her in horror.

"I won't let you take me back to Orochimaru and you know what will happen when he finds out you failed your mission. If you tell me something of value I will grant you a quick death."

The man seemed to think about it and finally answered.

"I don't know…anything…about…his plans…"

Rei sighed. He knew something, but he wouldn't talk. She guessed he was one of Orochimaru's most loyal men. She wondered what the damn snake had offered him in exchange for his services. It didn't matter anymore. He would die. She sent some chakra into the string to make it sharper and pulled on it. She looked away as the blood splattered on the trees. Some of it got on her and she just wiped it off. She looked down at her enemy.

"I'm sorry."

She turned around and ran off as fast as she could. She hated killing, but she knew she had to if she wanted to survive. She found some comfort in knowing that she had provided a better death than the one Orochimaru would have granted him. Still, it felt strange. She hadn't killed in a long time and she found that her hands were shaking. She sighed and ignored it. She had to find Sasuke and the others. If Sasuke and Naruto were injured that only left Sakura to protect them and she doubted that she would be able to take care of the guys and herself. She ignored the pain on her side and kept running.

* * *

Sakura watched as Sasuke tortured the Otonin who had attacked them. She wanted him to defeat them, but he was being so cruel…She couldn't believe what was happening and she wished that there was something she could do. She watched in horror as Sasuke approached the enemies to finish them off.

* * *

Rei kept running and after a while she sensed a strange chakra. She concentrated on it and gasped when she realized who it belonged to. She ran as fast as she could, hoping that she wasn't too late. After a few minutes she saw Neji standing on a tree. She ran up to where he was and froze at what she saw. Neji's team wasn't the only one there. Ino's team was there and she saw Sakura, who was badly beaten sitting on the ground. Then she saw Sasuke. She couldn't believe it was him. He looked different. She knew what it was because she had trained with Orochimaru. While she was with him she had always hoped that he would never give her the cursed mark. Now, she remembered why. She could see that Sasuke had hurt their opponents badly. She knew she had to stop him, but she wasn't sure she would be able to. Still, she had to try. 

"Sasuke, stop!!!"

She saw Sasuke stop and watched as the marks that had appeared on his body retreated back into the mark on his neck. She felt relief wash over her and didn't care that the enemies had runaway. She jumped down to where Sasuke was and looked at him. He opened his eyes slowly and she smiled.

"Rei…?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Sasuke sat up and looked at her with surprise.

"I though Orochimaru had taken you?"

"I managed to run away form his henchmen while he was gone."

"How?"

She looked away.

"It doesn't matter."

Sasuke frowned and noticed the blood that had gotten on her when she had killed the man who had been chasing her. Then he saw the blood coming from her wound.

"You're injured."

"It's nothing. How do you feel?"

"I'm fine, let me look at your wound."

"It's nothing, I'll take care of it. Rest for now. I'll go check on the others."

She stood up before he could object. She didn't want Sasuke to worry about her and so she decided to deal with her own injuries later. She saw that Naruto was awake. That was good, he was being as annoying as ever. She looked at Sakura and saw that she was badly beaten.

"Are you alright?"

Sakura looked up at Rei and was about to say something about how she wasn't there to help when she saw that she was injured. She could see some blood coming out of her cut and she noticed that she had blood stains on her clothes, arm, and face.

"Yeah, how did you get here?"

Rei frowned. She knew she would have to tell them how she had escaped, but that would have to wait.

"We can talk about that later, for now you should take care of your injuries."

Ino walked up to them and said she would help Sakura. Rei nodded and walked off. She stopped, but didn't turn around.

"Sakura, thanks for taking care of Sasuke."

Sakura looked at her and then looked down.

"I didn't do anything. It was because of you that Sasuke-kun stopped."

Rei frowned and looked down.

"Rei-chan, you're hurt!"

She turned and saw Naruto. She smiled.

"I'm fine Naruto. I'll take care of it later."

"No, I'll take care of it now."

Rei turned around and saw Sasuke.

"If I don't help you I know you'll just wait until it's too late. We have to get that cut taken care of before it can get infected."

She sighed, knowing he was right.

"Fine."

They walked away from the others and Sasuke looked at the cut and frowned.

"It's not too deep, but you should have bandaged it earlier to stop the blood."

"I'm sorry."

"Never mind, just try not to be so careless."

"No, I'm sorry I wasn't here."

Sasuke stopped as he was wrapping up her wound and looked at her. He was startled when he saw that she was crying. He sighed.

"What matters is that you got here. I'm glad you managed to get away from Orochimaru."

She wiped her tears and smiled.

"Yeah, you're right."

Sasuke frowned as he knew something was wrong. He finished bandaging her wound and helped her up.

"Rei?"

"Yeah?"

"How did you get away from Orochimaru's henchmen?"

She stopped and looked down.

"I…killed them…"

Sasuke looked at her and couldn't believe what she had said. He had noticed the blood stains that he knew didn't belong to her, but he hadn't expected her to have killed them. He noticed that her hands were shaking.

"Rei, it's alright, you didn't mean to, you had no choice."

"Don't say that. I had a choice, but I chose to kill them. I guess I really am like Orochimaru after all."

Sasuke couldn't believe what was happening. He couldn't believe how much she had changed. He wondered what had happened for her to change so much.

"You're not like him."

She turned to look at him and he was reminded of the day she had left them to go with Hametsu.

"He's my sensei. As much as I hate to admit it if it wasn't for him, I would be dead by now. I learned everything from him, he even taught me to kill. I'm sorry for not telling you, but I knew that if I told you, you would hate me. I'm nothing more than a murderer, Sasuke, and I don't deserve to have you or the others. I'm sorry for putting you in danger."

She walked off and left a stunned Sasuke there. He looked down and frowned. He clenched his fists and cursed Orochimaru. He swore he would kill him for making Rei suffer. He looked at Rei as she thanked the others for their help. The other teams left and Rei rested against a tree while Naruto and Sakura fought like always. Sasuke walked up to Rei and sat next to her.

"I'm sorry."

She looked at him.

"Sorry for what?"

"When Orochimaru attacked us, I didn't do anything. I should have been there to protect you."

Rei smiled at him and smacked him lightly on the head.

"You jerk, I don't care if you didn't protect me. If I got caught it was my own fault for being weak."

Sasuke rubbed his head and smirked.

"I guess we'll have to train more often when we get out of here."

"Yeah."

Rei looked out before her and sighed.

"Sasuke, about Orochimaru-"

"You can tell me later."

She turned to him and smiled.

"Thanks."

"Hn."

"Hey, I thought I told you to stop with that."

"Hn."

Rei sighed and Sasuke smirked. He turned to her and kissed her.

"I'm glad you're back." He said.

"Yeah."

They sat there thinking of what they would do and what challenges laid ahead. Their only hopes were that they would be able to stay together.

_**End Chapter Thirty**_

* * *

**__**

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hello People! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to Lyris88, MistFairie93, ****lovefatedestiny, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, ruler of dragons, Eterna1, Lady ****Moonaya, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, ****Tsukinoyo****, NMBC-Sally, and MYDOGRULES for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-One**

Team Seven traveled for a while jumping from the branches of the trees. Sasuke was running next to Rei and Naruto was in front with Sakura. Although Rei had said that she wanted to be in the back to keep an eye out for enemies he suspected that her wound was bothering her. He glanced over at her as they landed on another branch and for a second he thought she had flinched. He frowned as he knew that unless she was really in pain she wouldn't be bothered by it. He noticed that she was slowing down, but he knew how stubborn she was and so he remained quiet. Suddenly, Rei stopped. Sasuke turned to her and saw her leaning on the tree. He walked up to her as the other two stood where they were.

"What's wrong?"

Sasuke could see that she was tired as she was panting lightly.

"It's nothing, let's go."

She composed herself, but Sasuke saw her wince slightly.

"No, we should rest. Besides, we haven't had anything to eat for a while."

Rei glared at Sasuke knowing the real reason why he wanted to rest.

"No, we should keep moving. Our run ins with Orochimaru and the Otonin delayed us. We're at a time limit and we still have to get the other scroll."

"Yeah, but if we're tired we won't be able to fight off any other enemies that attack us."

"I feel fine and you and Naruto were unconscious long enough to allow you to keep moving. Besides, we rested before we took off."

Sasuke frowned at her stubbornness. He knew she didn't want to hold them back, but he was worried about her. Still, he didn't want to point out that he wanted to stop because of her as he knew that would upset her.

"Let's go. We have to keep moving."

Rei took a step forward, but stopped and held her side. She flinched and Sasuke helped her down. She sat on the ground and Sasuke crouched next to her. Naruto and Sakura went over to them.

"What's wrong with Rei-chan?"

Sasuke ignored Naruto and moved Rei's hand away from her wound. He could see a small red stain growing on her shirt.

"You idiot, your wound opened up. You should have said it hurt."

"I'm fine. I just need some new bandages."

Sasuke ignored her and picked her up.

"Let's find a place to rest."

The others nodded and they reached a place near the river. Sasuke didn't want to stay by the river as someone could see them. Sasuke asked Sakura to take care of Rei while he went to get some food with Naruto. After a while Rei got bored of sitting with Sakura without talking and so she left to go see how the others were doing. She found them fishing, or at least trying to fish. Naruto would scare the fish and make them jump, then Sasuke would throw shuriken at them. Rei watched for a while without saying anything, but she was discovered when she laughed as Naruto was almost hit by one of Sasuke's shuriken. The guys turned around and Sasuke frowned.

"You're supposed to be resting." He said.

"I was bored, besides, I'm fine."

"Hn."

"Rei-chan, how do you feel?" Naruto said as he reached his two comrades.

"I'm fine, Naruto-kun."

"Come on, let's go back." Sasuke said.

"I think I'll get some water first. You guys should fill your bottles too."

Sasuke gave her his bottle as did Naruto so that she could fill them for them.

"We'll tell Sakura-chan." Naruto said.

Rei smiled at the hyper shinobi. Sasuke looked at her seriously.

"Don't take too long."

"I won't. You worry too much."

"Tch." He said annoyed.

They left and Rei sighed as she walked towards the river. She was worried about Sasuke. He had been acting strangely and she wondered if it was because of the whole Orochimaru thing. She sighed again and went back to filling up the bottles. She thought she should hurry. She knew Sasuke and he would probably go check on her if she took too long. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about the mark Orochimaru had left on Sasuke. She hoped they wouldn't run into too much trouble from now on.

As she was filling up the bottles she failed to notice someone approaching. She was too preoccupied with what was going on to sense the person hidden in the trees on the other side of the river. Suddenly she sensed something and looked up to see some kunai heading towards her. She jumped back, but was caught by someone behind her. She felt a kunai being pressed against her throat and growled.

"You're not as good as I remember."

She was surprised to hear the familiar voice and when she turned around and saw who it was she smiled brightly. In front of her stood a very familiar boy with short red hair and bright green eyes.

"Okoru-kun!"

Suddenly he pushed Rei to the side as he jumped away. Rei looked over to where the kunai had come from and saw Sasuke.

"Get away from her!"

"Sasuke stop!"

Sasuke looked at Rei with a questioning look.

"He won't hurt us, he's my friend."

She went over to Okoru and helped him up.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Rei, you're bleeding!"

Rei looked at her side and saw the blood stain on her shirt growing.

"Ah crap! Sasuke, you jerk, look at what you did!"

Sasuke's eye twitched in irritation.

"I thought you were in danger!"

Rei sighed and her expression softened.

"I know, sorry."

"Who is he anyways?"

"Oh, he's an old friend from Kirigakure. His name is Okoru."

She turned to Okoru.

"Okoru-kun, this is Sasuke."

For some reason Sasuke found that he was a bit annoyed that Rei called him Okoru-kun and he was just Sasuke. He was surprised to see that he was jealous, but then again, he hadn't been so close to anyone in a while. He looked back towards them and saw Okoru smirk.

"Well, it's nice to meet you."

"Yeah." Sasuke said and looked away.

Rei sweatdropped and turned to Okoru.

"Don't mind him, he's just anti-social."

Okoru just laughed.

"Hey, are the others here too?"

"Yeah, but I got sort of separated from them." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, I'm sure they'll find you eventually, hey why don't I introduce you to my other teammates?"

"Yeah, let's go."

They walked back to where Naruto and Sakura were.

"Hey, guys, I want you to meet someone."

They looked up and Rei was amused when she saw Sakura staring at Okoru. She knew he was good looking, but he was more like a brother to her.

"This is Okoru. Okoru-kun, these are my other teammates, Naruto and Sakura."

"Hello!" Naruto said.

Rei watched in amusement as Sakura just sat there. She felt a bit bad as she knew Okoru would dislike her as much as Sasuke did.

"It's nice to meet you guys."

"So, Rei-chan, why don't you tell us how you met him?" Naruto said.

"Yeah, I'd like to hear that too."

Rei glanced at Sasuke with a questioning look. Why was he being so moody all of a sudden. Then it occurred to her that he could just be jealous. She almost laughed at the idea, but managed to hold it in. It was absurd for Sasuke to be jealous and then again, she had once thought that about him feeling something towards her.

"Well, there really isn't much to tell. We met when we were kids and we used to play back in Kirigakure. I haven't seen him for about three years."

"But, I thought you were in Kirigakure before you came to Konoha. Didn't you see him there?" Sakura asked.

Rei frowned.

"It's along story."

Sasuke looked at her and wondered what had happened.

"Hey, wait a minute, won't he try to take our scroll?" Naruto said suspiciously.

Rei and Okoru laughed at this.

"Okoru-kun wouldn't do that."

"Yeah, this little brat here is like a little sister to me."

Rei smiled at Okoru as he smirked. Sasuke watched them and felt like punching the guy.

* * *

They talked for a long while and then decided to rest. They would take shifts to make sure no one ambushed them while they slept. While Rei took her shift Okoru woke up and went over to her. 

"Hello Okoru, couldn't sleep?"

"You know me, I don't sleep much when we're on a mission."

She smiled at him and they sat there in silence for a few seconds.

"Rei?"

"Yeah?"

"Do they know?"

Rei frowned.

"Not all of it."

"Are you going to tell them the truth?"

"…I don't know…"

"You should, they worry, especially the moody one, the one you call jerk."

"Sasuke?" She said with a bit of amusement.

"Yeah."

"They know some of it."

"What did you tell them?"

"I didn't tell them because I wanted to…Okoru…Orochimaru is here."

Okoru looked at her, startled.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm here aren't I?"

"You know what I mean." He said sternly.

Rei sighed.

"It's just, seeing him reminded me of some things I would rather forget. I was scared, Okoru…I don't want to go back with him…"

Okoru sighed and held her.

"Hey, don't worry, I'm sure your friends won't let him take you away and I'm here too."

Rei composed herself and sighed.

"Thanks Okoru-kun."

"Don't mention it…but…why didn't you go back?"

Rei looked at him and then looked down. She knew he was referring to why she didn't return to Kirigakure while she went there with Orochimaru. Although her parents had left her with Orochimaru she would go back to Kirigakure once a year for a few days. At first she used to visit Okoru and her other friends, but then things changed...

"Okoru, after I left three years ago, things changed. The new training Orochimaru used on me…he made me…kill…I didn't want to see you guys after that because…I didn't want you to see what I had become…I wasn't a shinobi I was nothing more than an assassin…I was a killer and I worked for him. I killed so that I wouldn't be killed and for that I can never forgive myself…I was a coward."

"No, you're not. You're alive, and that's what matters. In the end the one who survives is the one meant to live and achieve great things. Rei, don't let the past hold you down. If you let things go I'm sure you'll be happy."

Rei smiled and shook her head slowly.

"You always were the optimistic one."

"Then what were you?"

"I was the ruthless one."

Okoru frowned at this.

"Don't be stupid, you brat. You were actually the mature and smart one. I don' think I would be alive if it weren't for you."

Rei laughed at this.

"Yeah, well, as I recall you saved me a couple of times too."

"A couple?"

"Fine, a lot."

"That's better."

Rei smiled.

"You know, I don't think it would matter to them."

Rei sighed and looked at the ground. She thought about it for a while.

"Okoru, I just don't want them to get hurt."

"Rei, you can't keep the truth from them forever, especially that Sasuke guy. He really seems to like you."

"He better like me, we're going out."

Okoru grinned widely.

"Oh, I see, you're worried about your little boyfriend."

Rei's eye twitched and she smacked Okoru on the head.

"Alright, sorry. Anyways, you'll have to tell me more about him later."

"Well, you're quite the nosy one aren't you."

"I worry about you. I meant what I said before, you're like a bratty little sister to me."

Rei smiled and hugged Okoru.

"I know."

"And as your older brother I think you should tell them about why you're here."

Rei sat up and looked at Okoru seriously.

"No, you know I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because…I'm afraid they wouldn't like me anymore…"

"You idiot, they're your friends. They'll like you no matter what because they are your teammates. As teammates you often trust each other with your lives and so they would never hate you for who you _were_. Besides, you know that wasn't really you. You only killed because Orochimaru would have killed you if you had refused."

"That doesn't make it right. Nothing can make what I did right. Okoru, they don't know me. They don't know who I really am and I don't want them to know. Okoru, I killed two men earlier and you know, it's been such a long time since the last time I killed. It felt strange and my hands began to shake. I don't want to kill anymore. At least not like that."

Okoru sighed.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You did what you had to do and if you not doing those things means that you would be dead I'm glad you killed those people."

Rei didn't look at him. She stood up and walked away.

"It's your shift now."

Okoru sighed. He would never be able to make her forgive herself even if others had already forgiven her.

_**End Chapter Thirty-One**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to Lyris88, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, ****lovefatedestiny****, ruler of dragons, MistFairie93, jjayno1, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, and Eterna1 for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei**** and the dashing ****Okoru.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

Team Seven began to travel through the forest, but they were now accompanied by Okoru. Rei and Okoru were traveling next to each other with Naruto and Sakura behind them. Sasuke was in the front. He kept thinking of the new addition to their team. He knew Rei was close to him and he really didn't think he was so bad, but it annoyed him that he knew so much about Rei. He knew it was because they had known each other for along time, but he wanted to know more about her. He sighed. He would just have to wait for her to trust her enough to tell him.

_'But when will she trust me?' _He thought.

* * *

Rei was next to Okoru, who had been trying to get her to talk to the others. He didn't really tell her to tell them, but instead dropped a few hints. She was getting annoyed and her annoyance only grew when she saw him grinning. If there was one person that could get her to talk it was Okoru. That was the main reason he knew so much about her. Another reason she trusted him so much was because she knew that no matter what she did he would never hate her and he would always keep things to himself. She was glad to have him as a friend. She sighed and Okoru's smirk widened as he knew she would give up soon. He watched as she went over to Sasuke. 

"Sasuke I think it's time I told you the truth."

Sasuke looked at her and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"The truth about what?"

"About why I came to Konoha."

Sasuke stopped and she stopped next to him. He looked at her for a moment.

"Hey, why are we stopping?" Naruto said.

Sasuke ignored him. All his attention was on Rei.

"Alright, let's find a place to rest."

* * *

They settled in a relatively open area. Sasuke leaned against a tree and Rei stood in front of him with Okoru at her side. The other two sat down near them. 

"Why are we stopping?" Sakura asked.

"Do we really need to rest again?" Naruto whined.

"Shut up you loser, we're not resting." Sasuke said, irritated.

"Then why are we here?"

"It's because I have something to tell you guys."

Everyone turned to look at Rei.

"What is it Rei-chan?" Naruto asked.

"I want to tell you why I'm here in Konoha. After the attack from Orochimaru, I think it's only fair for you to know of my connection to him."

"What connection?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

Rei sighed and Okoru looked at her.

"I think you should start from the beginning." He said.

Rei nodded.

"You guys already know that my father was from Konoha and my mother was from Kirigakure. However, I didn't tell you about my father's Kekkei Genkai, although you've probably guessed it."

"What Kekkei Genkai?" Sakura asked.

"My father passed onto me the power to manipulate the elements. It's a very useful power, but it takes a lot of chakra and superb control of it. That's why I only use it when I have no other choice. But, I wasn't always able to control this power."

She paused and Okoru sighed. He knew that the next part of the story always upset Rei.

"When I was young my father's clan was all but gone. Their numbers had been greatly diminished during the fight with the Kyubi. Because of this my father decided to move to Kirigakure with my mother. We lived with my mother's family which consisted of my grandparents and my aunts and uncles. One day my family was betrayed by Hametsu."

"You mean the guy we fought in Kirigakure?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, he held a grudge with my mother for marrying someone from Konoha and because of that he hated me. He was, as he put it, loyal to the family and so when he found out that he was not truly a member of my mother's clan he went…crazy. He became obsessed with getting rid of me and my parents, but he was defeated by my father, or so we thought. However, before he could be stopped he proceeded to kill my mother's true siblings. Soon after that the rest of my mother's family perished and we were left alone in Kirigakure. We were happy for a while, but then, when I was five, I began to lose control of my power."

Okoru looked away. Although she had been the one to suffer, it always bothered him the way things had gone for her. When he had heard of her past he had immediately thought that none of the things that happened to her were her fault.

"My parents tried to help, but they couldn't do anything. Just when I was about to turn seven, my father was injured while trying to help me learn to control my powers. My mother was upset and although she didn't say so, she blamed me. My father was upset, not because of what had happened to him, but because he was unable to help me. In the end they were forced to employ the help of someone. They looked for help, but couldn't find any. Just when they were about to give up, a stranger wandered by our home. My father knew who it was because he was from Konoha and refused his help, but my mother was desperate for help and so when my father was away she handed me over to Orochimaru. She hoped that he would be able to help me and make me stronger. She was a foolish woman and because of her my father died."

Sasuke was amazed by how much hatred dripped from her voice. Okoru looked down at the ground, tired of hearing this part of the story. It always sturck him how much hatred Rei held for her mother.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"My father tried to get me back from Orochimaru when he found out what my mother had done, but Orochimaru was too powerful. He killed him right in front of me and used my fear to keep me from running away. He threatened me with killing my friends if I tried anything. For the rest of the time he trained me. He taught me to control my power and although I hate to admit it, I learned a lot from him. I would even go as far as to say that if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be alive."

From the corner of her eye she saw Okoru flinch at this. She knew how much he hated to hear her being grateful to the snake.

"In exchange for my obedience he allowed me to visit my friends in Kirigakure. While I was there I stayed with my mother, but it didn't really matter to me. I held no attachment to her and cast her off as nothing more than someone who gave me a place to stay at times. To her I was nothing more than a burden. The villagers knew about me although they didn't know of Orochimaru. They shunned my mother because of that and in return she shunned me. In time, she came to fear me and when I was nine I stopped visiting Kirigakure."

"Why? What about your friends?" Naruto asked.

"I did it because of them."

Okoru looked at her and frowned. He looked away and felt Sasuke looking at him.

"By that time I was already one of Orochimaru's servants. I killed for him and it didn't matter who it was, I did it without thinking about it. I did it to keep my friends safe, but I knew that I did it out of my own selfish wish to stay alive. Still, I didn't want to have to face my friends as a murderer. Soon, I grew tired of lying to myself and telling myself that I didn't care about anything, but staying alive. I was cold and ruthless and killed mainly to forget about everything else, but in truth I hated killing. When I realized what I had been doing I hated myself for it and vowed vengeance on Orochimaru, but I knew I had to escape first. He didn't think I cared about anyone anymore as I refused to see my friends and talked about them as though they weren't worth my time, but it was all part of my plan. I knew that if he thought I didn't care about them they would be safe and I would be free to escape."

"It worked too, Orochimaru never bothered us." Okoru said grimly.

Rei gave a weak smile.

"Yeah, it worked and I managed to run away, but I went back home. My mother saw me and tried to hand me over to Orochimaru to save herself."

Rei recalled the events of that night clearly.

_Rei__ ran to her home ignoring the looks she received along the way as people saw her with her bloodstained clothes. She had managed to escape from __Orochimaru__, but not without killing some of his servants first. She reached her house and ran inside. She went straight to her father's old training room and took his weapons. She knew she would need them if she wanted to make it to safety. She stopped when she heard some__one approaching. She frowned wh__e__n__ she recognized the chakra. It was her mother._

_A few seconds later a tall slender woman with long blonde hair and green eyes walked in. She scowled as she saw the woman whom she resembled so much. She was always grateful that she had at least gotten her father's eyes. Still, she couldn't help but frown at her own reflection whenever she looked in a mirror. Her great resemblance to her mother was one of the reasons, she was careful to keep her hair short opposing her mother's long hair._

_"What are you doing here?" Her mother asked._

_Her voice held no warmth or concern. If she asked her why she was there it was only for fear and curiosity as she had not been in that house for two years._

_"That's none of your concern." She said coldly as she stood up to leave._

_The woman frowned deeply._

_"You're supposed to be with __Orochimaru__. I__f he__ finds out you ran away-"_

_"I don't care about what happens. Do you think I care if he kills me? Besides, if he does kill me I expect you'll only be too happy."_

_"You idiot!__ If he finds out you're gone…"_

_Rei__ looked at her for a moment and understood. She was afraid. She was scared of __Orochimaru__ killing her._

_"I see, so you're worried about yourself. I should have expected that from you."_

_"If he finds you here he'll kill your friends."_

_Rei__ scowled at her mother. _

_"Since when do you care about someone other than yourself?"_

_"I care because you're my daughter."_

_Rei__ froze and turned to look at her mother._

_"I only gave you up to him because I was worried about you." _

_She walked up to __Rei__ and hugged her. __Rei__ stood there not knowing what to do. She felt something was wrong, but she couldn't think straight at the moment._

_"I'm sorry, please forgive me."_

_She felt her mother move and pushed her back in time to avoid being stabbed. She saw her mother holding a kunai and scowled. She cursed herself for being foolish and for believing that she held some affection towards her. She now saw how foolish she had been for trusting the woman that had cast her off._

_"I'm sorry, but if I don't __Orochimaru__ will kill me. You have to go back."_

_"I won't go back!"_

_"Then die!"_

_She charged at __Rei__ who stood there waiting for her. She knew her mother didn't want her, but she had never expected her to try to kill her. She felt a renewed pain in her heart, but ignored it like she had ignored it for the past years. As her mother approached her she moved out of the way. She made some hand signs._

_"Earth Style: Binding Vines!"_

_Her mother was held against the wall. __Rei__ walked up to her._

_"All of this time, I thought that I should just forget about you. I thought that somewhere in your heart my mother was still there and that's why I put up with you. But now that you tried to kill me I see that I've been a fool to think that you were still my mother. For you I feel nothing but hatred."_

_Rei__ watched as the woman before her flinched at the look in her eyes. They were cold and held nothing but hatred. When she spoke she could feel the venom dripping from her voice and she trembled in fear of the young girl in front of her._

_"However, because I owe my life to you and because I know what __Orochimaru__ will do to you I will grant you a quick death."_

_Rei__ took out a kunai and walked up to her mother. _

_"Stop!__Why can't you just die!?! I curse the day you were born!"_

_Rei__ stopped for a second. Then she moved so quickly that her mother barely saw her. She saw her eyes widen with shock and pain. __As she stuck the kunai deep into her._

_"Tell me __mother,__ are you not proud of me? Am I not as strong as you hoped?"_

_"You…monster…"_

_Rei__ twisted the kunai and knew the other was dead._

_"Goodbye mother."_

_She left the house with nothing more to hold her back. She had no friends or family and all she had was her life which she would gladly give away once she was done with __Orochimaru_

"After that night I traveled for a while until some shinobi from Konoha found me. They had been ordered to look for me by the Hokage as my father was from Konoha and so it was my second home. Shortly after that I arrived here."

Everyone looked at Rei, but didn't speak. Rei smiled weakly.

"I guess you guys must think badly of me. I don't blame you and I'm sorry for keeping the truth from you. If you want, after this test I will leave your team."

"You idiot."

Rei turned to Sasuke.

"Why would we care about that? What happened to you wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, and besides, Rei-chan isn't like that anymore. You wouldn't hurt anyone." Naruto said.

"Rei, if they trust you and if they're willing to give you a chance, why can't you forgive yourself?"Okoru said.

Rei smiled and looked down.

"Thanks guys."

* * *

They rested for a while and Rei went over to the river to get some water. Sasuke followed her. 

"Are you alright?"

She turned to him and smiled.

"Yeah."

He sat next to her and they looked out at the water.

"Rei, I'm sorry about what happened to you."

Rei looked at him and smiled.

"Why? It wasn't your fault so why worry about it?"

"But-"

"Sasuke, I don't care anymore. Okoru's right, if you guys don't care why should I? I'm just glad I was able to tell you guys. I actually feel better now that I don't have anything to hide."

Sasuke smiled. He was glad to finally see her being happy. Then he thought of asking her about Okoru since he wasn't around at the moment.

"Yeah. Rei, about Okoru, is he really like a brother to you?"

Rei looked at sasuke who was pointedly avoiding her and began to laugh. Sasuke turned to her.

"What?"

"Oh my God! You're actually jealous!" She said between laughs.

"I though I was just imagining it!"

Sasuke could feel his cheeks getting hotter and his eye beginning to twitch.

"I am not jealous." He hissed.

Rei ignored him and kept laughing. He felt like pushing her into the water and letting the river drag her away while she laughed at him. He watched as she wiped a tear and looked at him.

"I can't believe you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous." He said through gritted teeth.

"Suuure you're not. Anyways, Okoru is just a friend. I've known him for along time ever since I moved into Kirigakure. He's like a brother, but nothing more okay?"

Sasuke looked away and Rei smiled.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn."

She kissed him on the cheek and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You worry too much."

Sasuke smirked.

"Come on, let's go back."

They stood up and walked back. They were surprised to see Kabuto with their team when they returned.

_**End Chapter Thirty-Two**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Also, I have a new story idea for the Get Backers anime, it's a Rei/Ban story. Tell me if you're interested and check out the other pairings I'm interested in writing about. It's all in my profile. Sayonara!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Sorry for taking so long to update, but I ****was**** remodeling my room and didn't have time to write much. Anyways, thanks to ****ruler of dragons, MistFairie93, ****tru-viet****Uchiha**** Sasha, Lyris88, jjayno1, Eterna1, larrycucumber2, and ****Valinor's**** Twilight for reviewing. ****Also, thanks to all those who read, favorite, and alert my stories.**** Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more ****write. ****Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely ****Rei**** and the dashing ****Okoru.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

"An enemy!" Sasuke said.

"Sasuke, wait."

He turned to Rei.

"If Okoru hasn't attacked him then I don't think he's an enemy."

Sasuke frowned slightly, but said nothing. They walked over to the others and they explained that while Okoru had gone to get more wood for the fire Naruto and Sakura had tried to look at the scroll. Kabuto had stopped them in time. Okoru had returned a few seconds later. Sasuke was annoyed by how childish his two teammates had been for trying to look at the scroll. Rei had just stood there shaking her head. Still, she couldn't help but think that Kabuto was strangely familiar. It was like she had known him long ago. She just couldn't remember when or where. She was brought back to attention by Sasuke's sudden question.

"By the way, you're Kabuto right? What are you doing out here by yourself?" He said suspiciously.

"It's not like I'm trying to take your scroll."

"Yeah, if you were you could have just taken it from Naruto back then."

"So you're after the Heaven scroll." Sasuke said.

"No, I already have both, but something happened and I have to meet my teammates back at the tower."

Rei was surprised to see that he had both scrolls.

"Well, I'm off."

Kabuto began to walk away.

"Wait!"

Rei turned to look at Sasuke.

"Fight me."

Rei was surprised at this and ignored the shouting on Naruto and Sakura's part. Okoru remained calm as this was really none of his concern and she remembered that he still had to get back to his teammates.

"Fight…?" Kabuto said.

He looked at Sasuke for a few minutes.

"You're serious…"

"Sorry, but we're out of time."

Rei sighed. He was doing it to get the other scroll. Sasuke ignored the other's protests.

"We don't have a choice. I said it before…This is the only way to survive in this forest."

"You're lying." Kabuto said suddenly.

"If it is because of that then why did you bother to ask me? You could have just attacked and taken the scroll."

Rei had to admit that he was right. If Sasuke had really been so concerned about the test he would have just attacked while Kabuto's guard was down.

"If you want I'll help you, but not here. The scent from your fish will attract both animals and enemies."

They got ready to leave, but Rei turned to Sasuke.

"What is it?"

"I don't think it's wise for all six of us to travel together. It will be easier for our enemies to see us."

"What do you think we should do?" Kabuto asked.

"Okoru still has to find his teammates so I think I'll help him. You guys go ahead and I'll catch up with you at the tower."

Sasuke frowned a bit and looked at her questioningly. Rei grinned at him. She knew he was more than a bit uneasy about her and Okoru being alone and to be honest the idea of him being jealous was extremely amusing.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine. I promise I'll catch up soon."

Sasuke sighed.

"Alright, but be careful."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of her." Okoru said.

Sasuke didn't look too reassured and Rei couldn't help but smirk. He noticed and glared at her.

"Fine, but don't be careless. It's dangerous out here."

"You worry too much." She said smiling.

Sasuke just shook his head.

"Well, I'll see you guys later."

She waved at them as she left with Okoru. Sasuke sighed as he watched her go. He knew she thought he was jealous, but really he was just worried about her. He knew the forest was dangerous and Orochimaru could still be out there. He just hoped they wouldn't run into him. They left and he had to just hope that she would be fine and that Okoru would keep his word and keep her safe.

* * *

Once the others were out of sight Okoru turned to Rei. 

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

Rei turned to him and smirked.

"I never could keep anything from you."

Okoru grinned.

"I hope not."

She sighed.

"Okoru, does that Kabuto guy look familiar to you?"

Okoru frowned slightly as he thought about it.

"You know, now that you mention it, he kind of does. I just can't remember where, but I'm almost certain I've seen him before."

"I knew it. I wonder who he is."

Okoru looked at her and sighed.

"Rei, don't worry about it. I'm sure it's nothing important. Maybe he went to Kirigakure or something."

"Yeah, but there's something strange about the guy."

Okoru didn't say anything, but she was right. There was something bothering him about Kabuto. Still, he didn't say anything so Rei wouldn't worry anymore.

"Maybe we're just being paranoid." He said jokingly.

"It wouldn't be the first time."

"Oh, shut up." She said in mock anger.

"So, are you going to tell me about your teammates?"

"Well, you already know them."

Rei looked interested.

"You mean Zakyo is in your team?"

"Yeah, guess who else is there."

She thought about it for a moment.

"Don't tell me Yu is there too."

"Yep."

"I pity you."

Okoru chuckled.

They kept traveling for a while, but suddenly stopped as they sensed some rather familiar chakra. Rei smirked as she knew who it was and she saw Okoru smiling. Suddenly two girls came out from behind some trees. One of them had long black hair that was up in a ponytail. She had light brown eyes that showed a bit of arrogance. She was wearing a pair of black shorts that reached a bit above her knees and a white tank top on top of a black mesh shirt.

The other girl looked extremely cheerful and had short red hair with bright green eyes. Anyone that saw her standing near Okoru would think that they were relatives and they would be right. She was wearing some khaki Capri and a white tank top beneath a dark green blue vest. As soon as she jumped out she jumped on Okoru and held onto his black shirt, which he wore over a black mesh shirt along with some khaki pants, and hugged him tightly. The other girl just stood to the side shaking her head and sighing. Rei smiled as she watched Okoru getting strangled by his cousin.

"Rei…help…" Okoru pleaded.

It was after he had said this that the two girls turned to look at Rei. The brunette looked surprised while the redhead launched herself onto Rei. Rei stumbled back, but remained standing.

"Rei-san! It's been so long! Yu-san, look, it's Rei-san!"

Rei grinned and gently pushed the girl off.

"It's good to see you too Zakyo." Rei chuckled.

The other girl approached them and smirked.

"It really is you. What are you doing here?"

"Well hello to you too, Yu. I'm taking the exams with my team."

"I heard you had moved, but I didn't know where you had been sent." Zakyo said.

"Don't be stupid Zakyo, of course she would be brought here. Her father was from this village after all." Okoru said.

"Shut up, Okoru! I knew that!" Zakyo said childishly.

Rei laughed as she watched the two fight. She had really missed them.

"So, how are things going for you?"

Rei turned to Yu.

"Everything's fine so far. Not much to do here really."

Okoru looked over at the tow girls and frowned.

"Rei ran into Orochimaru."

"Okoru!" Rei snapped.

"They should know." He said sternly.

Rei sighed and looked away. Zakyo stopped trying to strangle Okoru and Yu just looked at Rei seriously.

"Are you alright, Rei-san?" Zakyo questioned.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Is he still here?" Yu said.

"Probably."

She frowned and Okoru looked at Rei while Zakyo looked around nervously.

"Don't worry about him guys, let's just head back to the tower."

"Yeah, the others are waiting." Okoru said.

"Others?" Yu inquired.

"Oh, yeah, my teammates went ahead while I helped Okoru find you guys. But I don't think they're at the tower yet. Why don't we rest for a while?"

"Well alright, we do have the scrolls after all."

Rei looked at them surprised.

"You already have the scrolls?"

"Yeah, don't you Rei-san?" Zakyo said.

Rei laughed nervously.

"Of course I do! How can you doubt me Zakyo-chan? I thought I was the great Rei-san."

"Of course you are!"

"Then don't worry. I've had the scrolls for ages now!" Rei laughed maniacally while Zakyo looked at her with wonder.

Yu and Okoru just stood there and sweatdropped at the two girls.

"Just like old times." Okoru said.

"Yeah." Yu agreed.

After a few more minutes of randomness they settled down and sat down.

"So who are your teammates?" Yu asked.

"Well there's Naruto Uzumaki, he's really nice. Then there's Sakura Haruno, she's a fangirl of Sasuke Uchiha, who is another team member."

"EWWW! A fangirl!" Zakyo said as she wrinkled her nose in distaste.

Rei smirked as she noticed that even Yu seemed to frown in distaste. They knew about fangirls, especially Zakyo. After all, she was Okoru's cousin and Okoru was very popular back in Kirigakure.

"Did you say Sasuke Uchiha?" Yu asked.

"Yep, he's her boyfriend."

Rei smacked Okoru hard on the head and he fell face down on the ground.

"Okoru, you moron why did you tell them?"

"They have a right to know. After all, we're all best friends." He said slyly.

Rei glared at him as he smirked.

"So, when do we get to meet your boyfriend?" Yu said mockingly.

"You'll meet my teammates when we reach the tower."

"Yeah and we should probably get going." Okoru said.

They nodded and took off. On the way Rei filled them in on what had happened. The two girls were alarmed to hear that she had been with Orochimaru for a while and frowned when she told them about Sasuke getting bitten.

"What do you think will happen to him?" Yu asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't remember much about that. I didn't really see much of Orochimaru's lair while I was with him. He always kept me busy with training."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I hope so. Hey, guys, does the name Kabuto sound familiar to you?"

Yu and Zakyo thought about it for a while and then shook their heads.

"I don't know. It kind of does, but I'm not sure." Zakyo said.

"The same thing happens to me." Yu added.

Rei sighed.

"Well, then never mind."

They kept moving and soon they could see the tower up ahead. Rei smirked as she thought of how her teammates would react when they met her friends. All she knew was that it would be amusing. It would be especially amusing to see how Sakura would get along with the two girls.

_**End Chapter Thirty-Three**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ****bunnie****booo**** from ****runey****, MistFairie93, larrycucumber2, MYDOGRULES, ruler of dragons, ****Hibiki-chan****tru-viet****, Lyris88, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, ****Tsukinoyo****The****Scarecrows's**** Weasel, and ****Uchiha**** Sasha for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei****, the dashing, ****Okoru****, the childish ****Zakyo****, and the arrogant Yu.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

After a while of traveling and avoiding various traps, Rei, Okoru, Zakyo, and Yu reached the tower. Rei could sense her teammates nearby.

"Okoru, I think they're close. Why don't you guys go ahead and I'll go back with my team."

"No, I wanna meet Rei-san's teammates!" Zakyo said childishly.

Rei smirked.

"Zakyo-chan, you'll get to meet them soon enough."

"Please Rei-san, I really want to meet your boyfriend."

Rei's eye twitched, but she didn't hit Zakyo, instead she sent a glare at Okoru who just smiled nervously. Rei sighed.

"Alright, but be good."

Zakyo nodded eagerly.

"Yes, Rei-san!"

Rei smiled at the girl. She had really missed her friends.

* * *

Sasuke looked around as he waited for Rei with the others. They had managed to get the scroll they needed and Kabuto had left with his teammates a few minutes ago. He sighed as he waited for Rei. Suddenly he sensed someone approaching. He took got ready to fight if it was necessary and so did the others. To their relief it was Rei and Okoru accompanied by two girls. Rei smiled when she saw her teammates. 

"Hello guys."

"Rei-chan, you're back!" Naruto said.

"Yep, and I want you guys to meet some friends."

The two girls stepped up. Zakyo smiled widely while Yu just stood there calmly.

"These two are my friends from Kirigakure and Okoru-kun's teammates. This is Yu Shinju."

"Hi." She said carelessly.

"And this is Okoru's cousin, Zakyo Zatsunen."

"Hello!" She said enegetically.

Rei heard Okoru sigh at his cousins' energetic attitude.

"Guys, these are my teammates. Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha."

"Hi!" Naruto said.

"Hello." Sakura said.

"Hn." Sasuke gave a slight nod to show acknowledgement.

Rei just shook her head slightly at Sasuke.

"Hey, you're Rei-san's boyfriend!" Zakyo said happily.

Rei groaned and glared at Okoru who hid behind a laughing Yu. Sasuke glared at Rei and felt his eye twitching. Sakura seemed visibly annoyed.

"Zakyo! What did I tell you?"

Zakyo flinched and looked down.

"You said I had to be good, but it was Okoru's fault! He's the one who told us!"

"Hey, don't blame me! You're the one who had to say it!"

"I didn't know she would mind. She told you after all!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Shut up Okoru! Besides, if she really likes him and he likes her why should it matter?"

By this time Rei had developed a twitching in her eye and a vein popped out of her head. She was trying very hard not to kill her friends. Meanwhile, Naruto was laughing rather loudly and Sasuke looked like he wanted to murder someone. Sakura looked ready to kill as well. Yu looked at the display before her and smirked when she noticed Sakura.

"Hey, stop it you two. You're upsetting the fangirl. I don't think she likes to be reminded of the fact that she lost to Rei."

Rei looked up knowing this couldn't end well and even Naruto became quiet. Sasuke glanced at Rei and then at Sakura. Okoru and Zakyo had quieted down while Yu stood there smirking. Sakura glared at Yu.

"Shut up." She said.

Yu looked a bit surprised, but kept smirking.

"Oh, are you upset?" She said mockingly.

Yu hadn't really liked the girl from what Rei had told her. She hadn't really said anything bad, but it sounded like she cared more about her looks than her training.

"I'm sorry, but you have to learn to accept the facts."

"Shut up!"

"And what if I don't?"

"Yu, calm down, leave her alone." Rei said

Yu frowned, but complied. She sighed.

"Fine, but you owe me."

Rei frowned. She knew Yu was nice, but she liked to mess with people. She could be troublesome if you listened to her too much during a fight. She could really make people break down. She enjoyed doing so and Rei knew it. It was one of the reasons she was careful around her, even if they were friends. Still, she knew Yu wouldn't try anything on her, it wouldn't work, or if it did, it wouldn't be good for her.

"I guess we should get going." She said.

"Yeah, we have to go too." Okoru agreed.

"Rei-san, we'll see you later, right?"

"Of course, Zakyo-chan."

"Well, good luck." Yu said.

"Yeah, good luck to you too."

Rei looked at her friends and smiled. Okoru smiled and walked up to her. Suddenly, he hugged her. Rei was surprised, but she hugged him back. Sasuke just stared in shock. He frowned deeply and curled up his fists.

"Be careful." Okoru said.

"I will."

Okoru let Rei go and she looked over at the other two girls.

"Take care of those two."

Okoru smirked.

"Like Yu needs me to take care of her."

"I was talking about Zakyo." Rei said smirking.

"Hey!" Zakyo said.

Rei laughed and Okoru grinned.

"Well, you know Zakyo. She may be a brat, but she's strong."

"Yeah, I know."

"Rei-san, do you really think I'm strong?"

Rei looked at Zakyo with a puzzled look. Then Rei remembered that Zakyo didn't just look up to her, she wanted to be like her. She wanted to be as strong as her and because of that hearing from Rei that she was strong was the best compliment she could get. Rei sighed and smiled.

"Of course I do, I've always thought you were strong."

Zakyo grinned and Rei smiled at how much she looked like Okoru.

"Well, I'll get stronger! Maybe as strong as you!"

"I'm sure you will."

Zakyo smiled widely and then they left. Rei sighed and turned to her teammates. Sakura looked upset, but not as much as before. Naruto looked like himself, but Sasuke looked strange. Rei looked at him questioningly and he just turned away from her. She frowned, but didn't say anything.

They went inside the tower and were met with Iruka who told them about what a Chunin is supposed to be. After that they were taken to a fighting arena where they lined up in their teams. All of the instructors were there along with the Hokage. As they stood there Rei wondered what was wrong with Sasuke. She sighed.

"Sasuke."

"What?" He said flatly.

"Is something wrong?"

Sasuke thought about what to tell her. He knew she didn't want to be with Okoru and that it really shouldn't matter to him how close they were, but he was still upset. He knew he would have to tell her, but he didn't want to talk about it in front of the others. He glanced at her and saw that she looked worried.

"Everything's fine."

Rei looked away. She knew he didn't want to tell her. She sighed.

"Is it about Okoru?"

Sasuke was surprised to hear that. He hesitated before nodding slightly. Rei sighed in relief. She was afraid that it had been something more serious. She smiled at him.

"You idiot, I told you we're just friends."

Sasuke turned to look at her. She looked at him and he knew that she was being honest. He felt stupid for being so jealous, but he guessed it was just because he hadn't been so close to anyone in a long time. He smirked and she smiled.

"I know."

"Then stop being such a moody jerk."

Sasuke shook his head slightly and turned back around. Suddenly he grabbed the side of his neck and began to shake. Rei was alarmed by this.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?"

She noticed that he had hi s hand over the place where Orochimaru had bitten him. She furrowed her brow with worry.

"Sasuke, maybe you shouldn't keep going."

Rei turned to Sakura and Sasuke glared at her.

"No, I have to keep going."

"But, you're hurt."

"Shut up, this is none of your business…This pain is my burden…to bear…alone."

Rei frowned slightly, but she understood. Sakura was on the verge of tears.

"Fine, then I'll tell all the teachers." She said as she raised her hand.

Sasuke stopped her.

"Stay out of this." He growled.

Sakura began to tear up. Rei sighed.

"Sakura, you have to let him do this, please."

Sakura was surprised at Rei's pleading tone. They all turned around as they heard Kabuto speaking. He had left the exam. Rei looked at Sasuke and saw how determined he was. She smiled weakly.

"You really want to fight don't you?"

He nodded and she sighed.

"Alright, just, be careful."

Sasuke smirked. They looked back up at the Hokage as he explained the next stage of the exams. Rei was surprised to hear they would be fighting each other. In truth she was more worried about Sasuke than about herself. Because of this, she was alarmed to see that he would be fighting first. Everyone began to go up to clear the arena so that the fight could start. Rei looked at Sasuke.

"Sasuke, you better win."

Sasuke could tell that she was worried. He smirked.

"Of course I will you brat. You better win too."

She grinned.

"You bet I will."

"Good, now go. The others are waiting for you."

"Yeah, good luck, Sasuke-kun."

"Don't worry." He said smirking.

Rei sighed and left. She just hoped that Sasuke would be alright.

_**End Chapter Thirty-Four**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ****lovefatedestiny****, larrycucumber2, ****Hibiki-chan****, MistFairie93, ****Tsukinoyo****Uchiha**** Sasha, ****tru-viet****Skyheart****, ruler of dragons, ****Liviyan****, and Lyris88 for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei****, the dashing ****Okoru****, the arrogant Yu, and the silly ****Zakyo.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

Rei went up with the others and her old friends from Kirigakure went over to her and the others.

"Hey, you guys, shouldn't you be with your sensei?"

"He's not here. He had to stay in Kirigakure to complete a mission." Okoru said.

"Yeah, but we think he was just too lazy to come." Zakyo said.

Rei grinned.

"Well, you guys can watch the fights with us." Naruto said.

"That sounds great!" Zakyo said energetically.

Rei smiled at her, but Okoru noticed that it looked like something was wrong. He watched as she looked down towards Sasuke and his opponent. He went over to her.

"Rei, don't worry, he's strong."

Rei turned to Okoru and smiled.

"Yeah, you're right. Besides, he's too stubborn and proud to lose. I'm sure he'll win."

Okoru nodded and Rei grinned before looking back down. The fight began and she watched as Sasuke managed to get a hold of his opponent. She smirked, but then Sasuke's opponent managed to get a hold of his shirt. She watched a sSasuke began to shake slightly. When she looked at him carefully she noticed that he seemed weak and tired. She frowned and hoped that he was alright. She watched as Sasuke just laid there while the other approached him ready to attack.

"Sasuke!"

* * *

Sasuke felt weak as his energy had somehow been drained by his opponent. He laid there until he heard Rei call out to him. He got up quickly, but it was too late. His opponent held his head with one hand and Sasuke felt himself growing weaker. 

"You're…feeding off my chakra…"

"…Heh heh…finally figured it out, eh?"

* * *

Rei watched with concern as Sasuke laid there while his opponent held him down by placing his hand on his forehead. Sasuke screamed and Rei had the urge to go down there and help him, but she knew she couldn't. 

"What is he doing to Sasuke?" Okoru asked.

"I think he's taking away his chakra…" Rei said uncertainly.

Okoru was surprised to hear that it was possible to do such a thing by just touching someone. They watched as Sasuke managed to kick his enemy away. He stood up and looked at the others.

"Hoe can you still call yourself Sasuke Uchiha!?! You're a disgrace to yourself!!! Aren't you embarrassed to have everyone see you as a big loser!?!" Naruto yelled.

Rei looked at him and smiled weakly. She looked over at Sasuke and frowned.

"Sasuke, you idiot, get up and fight!!! If you lose I'll never let you forget it!!!" She said.

Sasuke glared at her, but he knew she was trying to get him to fight because she was worried. He looked at the others and as he saw Lee he had an idea.

His opponent rushed at him, but he managed to kick him and sent him flying up into the air. He jumped up after him and got below him. As he was about to attack he felt a sharp pain and knew it was the curse mark. He felt the pain spread throughout his body.

Rei watched as the mark on his neck spread. Okoru looked at her and frowned. He placed his hand on her shoulder.

"He'll be fine." He assured her.

She nodded and looked back at Sasuke.

* * *

Sasuke thought about the others and about how much they worried about him. He glanced over at them and frowned. He saw Rei with Okoru. She was looking at him with eyes filled with worry. 

_'Stupid girl, she should know better than to worry about me. I told her I would win and I will.' _He thought.

The curse mark receded and he kicked his opponent on the chest. He sent him back down. He spun around and kicked him again, slamming him into the ground.

"Shishirendan! Barrage of Lions!"

* * *

Rei watched as Sasuke managed to beat the other guy. She smiled as Sasuke was declared the winner and ignored Naruto's mocking remarks. She wanted to go to him and help him, but Kakashi was already there. She watched as the Medic-nin arrived and were sent off by Kakashi. Then he left along with Sasuke. Still, she knew not to worry too much. She knew Sasuke was fine when she saw him smirking at her before he left in a cloud of smoke. She smiled knowing he was safe.

* * *

Rei was bored. After Sasuke had fought Shino had fought against one of the Sound ninja. Shino had won and everyone had been surprised by the match. She guessed she would have been surprised to see him use his bugs to blow up a person's arms if she hadn't seen stranger things while she was with Orochimaru. Kakashi had returned and she had been relieved to hear that Sasuke was fine and that he was just sleeping at the hospital. After that one of the shinobi from Suna, Kankuro, had fought against the remaining member from Kabuto's team. The fight had been somewhat entertaining, but short. 

She was about to fall asleep when the next fight was announced. Okoru shook her and pointed to the screen where the fighter's names were shown. Rei looked at the names of the next fighters and a feeling of dread overwhelmed her. She frowned and turned to Yu. She was smirking widely and Rei knew why. Her opponent was Sakura and Rei knew ever since Yu had mocked Sakura in the forest that she wanted a chance to fight her. Yu knew she would win, she just wanted to show Sakura that she was weak. Rei looked at Sakura who was looking at Yu with something that resembled fear. She turned around and began to hear down the stairs to the fighting arena. Rei went over to Yu.

"I guess you're next."

"Yeah." Yu said smirking.

"I guess I shouldn't expect you to wish me good luck since your teammate is my opponent." She said smirking.

Rei sighed.

"Just don't overdo it." She said seriously.

Yu frowned slightly, but quickly regained her composure and grinned.

"Don't worry, you know me, I won't do too much damage."

Rei frowned as Yu turned to leave. She held her arm and Yu turned to look at her friend. She wa a bit surprised to see her so serious.

"Yu, don't do more than is necessary. I mean it."

Yu sighed and frowned.

"Fine."

She left and Rei watched her walk away. She walked back to where the others were and leaned against the railing. Okoru looked at her.

"What did you tell her?"

"The usual."

"Do you think she'll listen?"

"For her own good, I hope she does."

Okoru frowned and shook his head.

"You two never did get along too well."

"We get along fine. It's just that my idea of entertainment doesn't involve mentally abusing others."

Okoru looked over at the two girls about to fight. He knew Yu would win and so did Zakyo and Rei. Yu knew she would win as well. Still, he knew she would just toy with Sakura before getting serious. He sighed. Zakyo leaned up against the railing next to Rei.

"Rei-san, do you think Yu-chan will win?"

Rei looked at Zakyo strangely.

"Of course she will."

Zakyo turned to Rei and raised an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't you say no? After all, Sakura is your teammate."

"Zakyo, it doesn't matter who she is, Yu will beat her. You know that, or at least you should."

Zakyo frowned.

"What do you think Yu will do to her?"

"I don't know, but I don't think she'll do too much."

Zakyo looked at Rei uncertainly. She was curious as to how she could be so confident of the fact that Yu wouldn't do too much. Okoru noticed this and turned to her.

"Rei warned her. She told her to hold back."

"Oh." Zakyo said.

Rei frowned and glared slightly at Okoru. She looked back down at the two girls who were about to fight. Sure, she didn't like Sakura, but even she didn't deserve to see all of Yu's power. Rei sighed remembering the last time she had confronted Yu about her style of fighting.

* * *

**Flashback**

_Rei__ watched in horror as the man screamed for Yu to stop. He wasn't seriously injured, but he was doubled over and trembling. He was holding his hands on the sides of his head and screaming. She looked at Yu and frowned as she saw her smirking. She ran through the field towards Yu. _

_"Yu stop!" She commanded._

_Yu glanced at her and scowled._

_"Leave, this is my fight."_

_Rei__ frowned._

_"This fight is over. It was over the moment you caught him in your technique and you know it. Now, stop this. I won't allow you to use this man as your entertainment."_

_Yu glared at __Rei_

_"You won't allow me!?! And since when do I require your permission to do something. You don't tell me what to do. Besides, this man is a criminal. Whatever I do to him, he deserves."_

_Yu smirked and watched as the man continued screaming and trembling. __Rei__ growled and moved behind Yu. She was quick and Yu had not been expecting her to move. She held Yu by the back of her neck._

_"Stop or I'll make you stop." She said sternly._

_"__Tch__, fine."__ Yu growled._

_She made some signs and the man fell unconscious. __Rei__ sighed in relief. She let go of Yu.__ Yu turned to her and glared._

_"There, happy?"_

_Rei__ sighed and shook her head._

_"Yu, you have to stop this. __Okoru__ told me about-"_

_"Yeah, I know, __Okoru__ told you about my _horrible_ way of getting the bad guys. Look, you have a way of doing things and I have another."_

_"It's not about how you do things, it's about what you do and how far you take things. People aren't toys! You have to learn to respect your opponents."_

_"It's not my fault they're so weak! Why don't you just leave me alone! Go back to your new master! I don't know why you bother pretending you care about us when you hardly ever come back! Besides, I don't think you should act so innocently when you kill people all the time! You might think I go too far when I fight, but you're the one that trains by killing."_

_Rei__ was surprised to hear that as she hadn't told anyone about her training._

_"That's right, I know abo__ut what you do with __Orochimaru__. I know you haven't told __Okoru__ or __Zakyo__, but I know how ruthless you are so __don't__ try to act innocent with me."_

_Rei__ just looked at __he__ before looking down at the ground__ and Yu looked away. She knew what she had sai__d was wrong. She heard __Rei__sigh,__ still she knew she was right._

_"You're __right,__ I'm nothing but a killer. I kill all the time and I never complain, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it. In fact, I hate myself for it and I hate myself for being so weak. I never wanted to hurt anyone and if I had a choice I would have never become a __shinobi__. However, I know that I have no other choice, but every time I kill I grow to hate myself more and no matter who it is that I kill I always ask for their forgiveness, even though I don't deserve it. Because of that I have always tried to keep you and the others from becoming like me. I don't want you to suffer and hate yourself everyday. I don't want you to have to live like I do, searching for forgiveness and trying to redeem myself, but never accomplishing it. I know that it's wrong and that it's selfish of me to ask for my sins to be forgiven so easily. I'm sorry for lying to you and for being such a hypocrite."_

_Yu didn't know what to say. She looked at __Rei__ and she turned away._

_"__Tell __Zakyo__ to stop trying to be like me and tell __Okoru__ to be stop fighting so much with __Zakyo__…Goodbye, Yu, I'm sorry."_

_Yu watched as her friend left and felt a pang of guilt._

_"You know __Zakyo__ won't listen and neither will __Okoru__. They'll be upset when they find out you left."_

_Rei__ stopped and turned around. Yu was surprised to see her smiling._

_"I trust you to keep them from killing each other and as for __Zakyo__, she'll see the truth soon enough."_

_Yu smiled at her friend and it was the same arrogant smile she gave her. _

_"I f you say so…Goodbye, __Rei__."_

_She left in a cloud of smoke._

**End Flashback**

* * *

Sure she had always argued with Yu, but she was her friend and she would do anything for her. However, she wouldn't allow her to cross the line in this fight. Rei sighed, but smirked. This would be an interesting fight. 

_**End Chapter Thirty-Five**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and I wanted to make it longer, but I started typing late and I'm tired. Anyways, hope you guys liked the little look into ****Rei**** and Yu's relationship. As always I'll try to update soon. Thanks to all those who read, review, favorite**** and alert. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to larrycucumber2, ****Hibiki-chan****, MistFairie93, vampknight364, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, ruler of dragons, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, ****tru-viet****, Lyris88, and Eterna1 for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Also, for those of you who review, I would like you to tell me if you think ****Okoru****, Yu, and ****Zakyo**** should stay in ****Konoha**** for a while after the ****Chunin**** Exams. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely ****Rei****, the dashing ****Okoru****, the arrogant Yu and the childish ****Zakyo.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

Yu looked at Sakura carefully and smirked when as she noticed that she was scared. She was trying to hide it, but she could tell. Sakura glared at her and Yu chuckled.

"Hey, why don't you save yourself the trouble and give up?"

"Shut up, I'll beat you!"

Yu sighed.

"Look, you're not going to beat me, but if you won't give up I guess I can give you one chance to win. Come on, hit me as hard as you can."

Sakura looked at her strangely and then frowned as Yu obviously thought she was too weak to hurt her.

"Well, come on." Yu said mockingly.

Sakura ran towards her and Yu just stood there smirking. Sakura drew her fist back and swung with all her strength. She hit Yu and she slid back a bit. Sakura was surprised to see her still standing. Yu looked at Sakura and smirked. She spat out some blood.

"You really are weak. I don't see how you expect to win."

Sakura was surprised and she just stood there.

"I don't know why Rei defends you. You really aren't worth her time."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, confused.

Yu sighed.

"You really don't knowhow strong she is do you?"

Sakura just stood there.

"Well, there's no point in telling you. Now, come on, fight."

Yu made some hand signs and Sakura began to feel sleepy. Her vision blurred and when she blinked she found that she was no longer in the arena with Yu but in the park. As she walked she heard someone up ahead. She kept walking and everything seemed familiar. Then she saw Sasuke and Rei sitting on a bench. She felt anger and sadness take over her and she felt like she wanted to cry. She heard someone chuckling and turned around. She saw Yu sitting on a tree branch.

"Stop this!"

"Why, it's actually quite entertaining. I still can't believe this is one of your worst memories. You really don't know anything if this is the type of thing that hurts you the most. I guess that's why you're so weak. You've never experienced pain, but they have."

She gestured towards Rei and Sasuke as they stood to leave. Then Sakura recognized this as the night she ahd found out about Rei and Sasuke. Sakura glared at Yu as she looked at her with an amused expression.

"How are you doing this?"

"How am I doing what?"

"How can you make this illusion so real? How do you know about this?"

Yu smirked.

"That's a secret. Of course, your secrets aren't as safe as you thought Sakura. In fact, they can be accessed very easily. Still, I see you can tell this is an illusion. It doesn't really matter since it will only make things more interesting."

Sakura frowned and dispelled the illusion. When she opened her eyes she was standing back in the fighting arena with Yu in front of her. She was grinning widely and Sakura saw her glance at Rei. She turned towards her teammates and saw Rei frowning. It looked like she didn't like what was going on.

* * *

Everyone was confused on what was going on. Everyone except Rei, Okoru, and Zakyo. Yu and Sakura had been standing there for a while without moving. 

"What's wrong with Sakura-chan, why isn't she moving?" Naruto asked.

"She's under one of Yu's illusions." Rei answered.

Okoru looked at Rei.

"If it's just an illusion, why hasn't she noticed?" He asked.

"She probably has."

They looked back down and saw Sakura glance up at them.

"See, she ended Yu's illusion."

"But why is Yu using a simple illusion?" Zakyo said.

"She's probably testing Sakura to see how vulnerable she is to Genjutsu."

"So, how good id she?"

Kakashi answered for Rei.

"Sakura's strong point is Genjutsu. She is able to control her flow of chakra precisely and is able to dispel illusions easily. She can also recognize them quickly."

He turned to Rei.

"Why does it matter how strong she is?"

Rei frowned.

"Yu is also specialized in Genjutsu which means that she is Sakura's worst choice for an opponent. She can create different types of illusions depending on her opponent's weakness to Genjutsu."

"I see."

They watched the match intently and Rei hoped that Yu wouldn't take things too far. She hadn't told Kakashi about Yu's other ability.

* * *

"Well Sakura, what did you think of my little trick?" 

"How did you do it?"

"I told you, it's a secret, but let's just say that by the time this fight is over there won't be any secrets between me and you."

Sakura glared and Yu laughed.

"Come on Sakura, show me what you can do."

Sakura ran towards Yu and made some hand signs. A clone of her appeared on beth sides next to her. Yu grinned.

"Shadow clones? Well that's weak."

Yu dodged the first Sakura and punched her in the stomach then turned and kicked another. She jumped up and twisted to kick the third one. The two clones disappeared and Sakura laid on the ground. Yu shook her head and waited for her to stand up.

"You know, I don't even want to fight you anymore, you're too weak. I think I'll finish this now."

Sakura looked up as Yu made some hand signs. She closed her eyes and Sakura felt strange. Her head hurt slightly and then it just stopped. She stood up and looked up at Yu who was smirking back at her.

"I see, so that's what you fear the most, interesting."

Sakura was puzzled by her words.

"Still, simple illusions won't work on you. You can distinguish and repel them. But I have something for this kind of thing."

Yu disappeared and Sakura looked around the arena, but couldn't find her.

"Sakura-chan, look out!" Naruto yelled.

Sakura turned around and saw Yu in front of her. She smirked and punched Sakura sending her back against the wall. Sakura looked up and saw some kunai heading towards her. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the pain but she didn't feel anything. She opened her eyes and saw that the kunai had hit the wall around her. She looked up at Yu who was smirking in front of her.

"Looks like you fell into my trap."

"What are you talking about? You didn't do anything."

"Are you sure about that?"

Sakura's eyes widened when she noticed that she couldn't move. She looked down and saw some chakra threads running across her body. She then noticed the tags on the kunai. She struggled to get away, but couldn't.

"Don't bother trying to get free. Once you get trapped by those you won't be able to get away unless I want you to. But that won't be anytime soon."

Sakura was scared. She didn't want to admit it, even to herself, but she was scared. She looked up at her teammates and saw everyone watching the fight intently. She could tell that Naruto and Kakashi were worried. She looked at Rei and saw that she looked upset. She wondered why she was mad. She knew she didn't like her so she thought Rei would be happy to see her losing. So, why did she care?

* * *

Rei looked down at the fight and frowned. 

"Damn it, I told her not to do too much." She muttered so only Okoru could hear.

"Yeah, well, you know how stubborn she is."

She sighed.

"Rei-chan, what's going on?"

Rei turned to Naruto.

"Sakura is trapped by Yu's chakra threads. She won't be able to get away unless Yu releases her."

"But why did she trap her?"

Rei thought about what to tell Naruto. She knew he would worry about Sakura, btu she had to tell him. She was saved the trouble of answering by Okoru.

"Yu is getting ready to use one of her most powerful attacks. She needs Sakura to stay still and also, the chakra threads will help Yu channel her chakra into Sakura."

"What is she going to do?"

"She's going to use an illusion to beat Sakura."

"I thought illusions didn't work on Sakura." Naruto said confused.

Rei turned to him.

"Simple illusions don't, but this one is special. Most illusions are meant to cause fear to people in general so they can affect some more than others. However, this technique focuses on one of the victim's worst fears."

"But how can she know what Sakura-chan fears the most?"

"There are three parts to this technique. The first is where Yu finds that fear. She has the ability to channel her chakra into her opponent's mind for a moment and in that time she searches for any memories or fears that can help her with her illusions. The second part is where she binds the opponent with the threads. These threads help her pour in her chakra into the opponent, strengthening the effect of the illusion. The third and final part is the illusion itself. She can maintain it for as long as she pleases and up until now no one has been able to escape this technique."

"But, how can she do that? How can she look into a person's mind?"

"Yu is very strong mentally and she has superb control of her chakra. Her family is known for their skill in Genjutsu. Because of this she is excellent at Genjutsu as well and has been trained since she was small. She can manipulate her chakra to search inside a person's mind for anything she might find useful."

"Then, Sakura is done for. There is no way she can get out of this now." Kakashi said.

Rei was surprised to hear Kakashi say that, but she knew it was true.

* * *

"Get ready for my special trick." Yu made some hand signs and smirked at Sakura. 

"Shadow Illusion!"

The room began to grow dark and Sakura felt tired and once again she closed her eyes. When she opened them she found herself alone in a dark space. She looked around, but there wasn't anyone around. She began to walk and then she saw someone moving up ahead. As she got closer to the persons he saw that it was Sasuke and Naruto. She smiled and ran up to them.

"Hey, guys."

They ignored her as she got closer and began to walk away. Sakura frowned and ran faster until she was closer. Then Rei walked up to them and began to talk to the two boys. She glared at the girl and reached them.

"Hey guys, what's going on? Didn't you hear me calling you?"

They turned to her and Sakura was surprised by the cold expressions on their faces.

"What do you want?" Naruto said coldly.

Sakura just looked at them strangely.

"If you don't have anything to say just go away."

"Yeah, why don't you go annoy someone else?" Sasuke said.

"What do you mean? Why are you guys acting like this?"

"Look, just go away, you're not in our team anymore so just leave us alone."

"Yeah, we don't need you anymore now that Rei-chan is here." Naruto said cheerfully.

Sakura was surprised to hear this. She watched as they turned around and began to walk away.

"Wait, you guys! Don't leave me here!"

She ran after them, but they disappeared into the darkness. She heard someone chuckling and turned to see Yu standing there.

"So, what do you think Sakura?"

Sakura glared and raised her hand while holding two fingers up.

"Kai!" She said.

She opened her eyes and was surprised to see that she wasn't able to dispel the illusion.

"What is this? Why can't I dispel the illusion?"

"Because this isn't just any illusion. This is what you fear the most Sakura and what you fear the most is your teammates replacing you. Of course, it might be too late."

"Shut up and stop this!"

"And why should I? After all, even if I stop this it will still be with you. This isn't just an illusion that you can get rid of. This illusion won't go away because it's in your mind and no matter what you say or do you will always fear it."

"Stop!"

"You know it's true. Your teammates are already more fond of Rei than they are of you."

"Shut up!"

"I mean, she's even going out with Sasuke."

"Stop!"

"I know it must be hard for you, I mean, they would rather be with someone they just met than with you. But then again, you're too weak. You're practically useless to them, all you do is whine and wait for them to save you when you're in trouble. I mean, if it wasn't for Rei Sasuke would have probably killed the Otonin in the forest."

"Shut up! It wasn't my fault!"

"Do you really think that? You were there. You were supposed to protect your teammates, but you failed. Rei managed to get away from Orochimaru and help you. If it wasn't for her who knows what would have happened."

Sakura began to cry as she knew what Yu was saying was true. She heard Yu laughing and sank to her knees. She just wanted it to end.

* * *

The arena had grown dark because of Yu's Genjutsu and everyone strained their eyes to see what was going on. They heard Sakura telling Yu to stop and Rei knew Yu had won. Once her eyes had grown used to the lack of light she watched as Yu stood before Sakura. She frowned as she sensed Sakura's chakra growing weaker. She knew she had to stop Yu. 

"Yu, stop!" She called out.

Yu turned to her and frowned, but complied. The room went back to normal and Sakura fell limply to the ground. Yi was declared the winner and Kakashi appeared next to Sakura. He picked her up and took her back to where the others were. He set her against the wall.

"Is Sakura-chan alright?" Naruto asked.

"She's fine, she just needs to rest." Kakashi said.

Rei went over to Yu who stopped when she saw how upset Rei looked.

"I told you to take it easy on her." She said sternly.

"I did, you know that." Yu said indignantly.

"No, you didn't. When I told you not to overdo things you know I meant for you to not do that technique. You should know better than that."

Yu scowled.

"Why do you care? She's weak. I did her a favor by ending things quickly. Besides, what makes you think you can leave for years and then start giving us orders like nothing happened? When you left you made sure to tell me I was in charge, so why should I listen to you?"

Rei frowned.

"You know what, you're right. Why should I give a damn about what happens to you and the others. I don't care anymore so you can do whatever you want. Like you said, I have no right to order you around. I left and you shouldn't listen to me now that I'm back."

Rei turned around and went back to the others. Okoru walked up to Yu.

"Damn it Yu! Why did you do that?"

"You know I'm right Okoru. I don't care if she is our friend she has no right to tell us what to do, not after she left."

"She left for us you idiot. She was afraid Orochimaru would do something to us so she decided to run away. That's why she never went back to the village."

Yu just looked at Okoru with a surprised expression.

"I suggest you apologize." He said before going back to the others.

Yu sighed and walked over to her teammates.

* * *

"Hey, Rei-san, who do you think you'll have to fight?" 

"I don't know Zakyo, but I know who you'll fight."

"Huh?"

Rei pointed to the board and Zakyo smiled.

"Yay I'm next!"

Rei smirked and knew Zakyo would win. After all, she was up against Ino.

_**End Chapter Thirty-Six**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Also, tell me if I should make ****Okoru****, Yu, and ****Zakyo**** stay in ****Konoha**** for a while after the exams. Sayonara!**


	37. Chapter 37

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ****lovefatedestiny, ****Hibiki-chan, ****Skyheart, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, jjayno1, MistFairie93, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, Lyris88, ruler of dragons, ****Mizu****Hime****, vampknight364, star sapphire, and ****tru-viet**** for reading and reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Also, it looks like ****Okoru****Zakyo****, and Yu will stay in ****Konoha**** for a little while after the exams. Thanks to all those who voted. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei****, the dashing ****Okoru****, the arrogant Yu, and the childish ****Zakyo**

**

* * *

**

Rei watched with amusement as Zakyo grinned at Ino as they stood before each other in the fighting arena. It was just like her to grin before a fight. She was always eager to fight, unless it was a serious fight. She loved fighting and training and Rei had always worried about the fact that she liked fighting so much. She sighed. It wasn't like Zakyo fought too seriously. Unlike Yu, Zakyo fought only when she needed to and stopped once her enemy was defeated. She enjoyed fighting because that way she would get stronger, however, she really didn't like fighting that much.

"Hey, Rei, how do you think she'll do?"

Rei turned to Okoru and grinned.

"She'll win, I'm sure of it."

Okoru grinned back at her and Naruto went over to them.

"Why are you so sure that she'll win, Rei-chan?"

"Well, Zakyo is strong. She may act like a brat, but she's really strong. She trains hard and always does her best. I'm not saying that Ino doesn't, but Zakyo always has a few tricks up her sleeve."

Naruto nodded and watched as the fight began.

* * *

Zakyo moved out of the way as several kunai flew past her. She jumped back as Ino swung at her and then slid behind her. Ino turned to look at her and received a hard blow to the stomach. She slid back and raised her arms before her to block off another attack form Zakyo. She slid back and then the attack stopped. She looked at Zakyo and saw that she had jumped back. Ino was puzzled by this. 

"What are you doing?"

"Well, the way I see it, it's not really fair if I just beat you without giving you a chance to fight back. Besides, I can see that the others are getting a bit bored."

Zakyo looked up and saw Rei yawning. She knew that Zakyo would win and that the fight would end quickly and so she wasn't really interested in it. She looked down at Zakyo and grinned. Zakyo smiled and looked back at Ino.

"What? Are you saying that you're just using me to entertain them!?!" She said outraged.

Zakyo looked at her strangely.

"Well, why else would I fight you? I could have beaten you, but that would just be boring and I know Rei-san and the others would be bored. Besides, after Yu-chan's fight, I have to make sure mine is just as good."

Ino glared at the girl in front of her. She couldn't believe that she was being used as nothing more than entertainment. This girl didn't even take her seriously and she spoke of Rei respect. This confused Ino as she hadn't seen any ability that would make Rei worthy of being so respected.

"Why do you respect her so much?"

Zakyo was a bit puzzled by this question.

"Who?"

"Rei."

Zakyo was surprised, but she grinned widely.

"Because she's the best! She always helped me train whenever she visited and she's always been nice to me and beats Okoru when he fights with me."

Okoru sweatdropped as he heard Zakyo and Rei began laughing histerically.

Ino was surprised by her answer, but she thought she could use it as an advantage.

"Well, I don't think she's so great. I mean, she hasn't really done anything and she wasn't even there when her teammates were attacked in the forest." She sneered.

Zakyo frowned.

"That's not true! Rei-san wanted to help her teammates, but she couldn't because…"

She trailed off as she remembered that Rei didn't want people to know about her connection to Orochimaru. She looked up at her and her teammates and then back at Ino.

"Rei-san is really strong and I don't care what you say about her."

Ino smirked. She had found something to use on Zakyo.

"If she's so great, then why did your village kick her out? It seems to me that she isn't as good as you say she is or your village would have kept her, but they really don't want her do they?"

Zakyo clenched her fists. She hated it when people talked about Rei since she looked up to her, but she knew she couldn't say anything as she would have to tell Ino about Orochimaru. Zakyo glared at Ino.

"Why do you look up to her so much?" Ino asked.

She wanted to know why the girl would get so upset about what she said. She really didn't understand why someone would look up to someone else so much.

Zakyo sighed and thought back to when she had met Rei.

**Flashback**

_Zakyo__ stuck her tongue out at __Okoru__ and ran away as her cousin growled and ran after her. She ran as fast as she could, trying to get away before __Okoru__ caught up. She really didn't want him to catch her, not after she had _'accidentally' _dropped some of his kunai and shuriken in the river._ _She kept running and then turned a corner. As she turned she looked back at her cousin and this caused her to bump into someone. She fell on top of the person and groaned in pain as she sat up. Suddenly she felt herself being pulled up by the back of her shirt and she gulped when she saw that it was __Okoru_

_"__Zakyo__, get off of __Rei-chan__, you brat."_

_Zakyo__ looked over at the person she had knocked down and saw a girl about her cousins' age sitting on the ground. She had short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She stood up and looked at her and __Okoru_

_"Now, apologize." __Okoru__ commanded._

_Zakyo__ looked at the girl and gulped. She was about to say something when the girl smiled._

_"It's alright, __Okoru__-kun, it was an accident."_

_Okoru__ sighed._

_"Hey, __Okoru-baka__, who is she?"__Zakyo__ said._

_Okoru__ twitched and hit __Zakyo__ on the head. __Zakyo__rubbed the back of her head as __Ooru__ got ready to tell her off. However, before he could do that he was smacked on the back of his head by __Rei_

_"__Okoru__, don't hit the little girl!"_

_"But-"_

_Rei__ glared at him and __Okoru__ quieted down. __Zakyo__ smirked at her older cousin. __Rei__ turned to __Zakyo_

_"My name is __Rei__."_

_"I'm __Zakyo__Okoru-baka's__ cousin."_

_Rei__ grinned. _

_"Nice to meet you __Zakyo-chan__."_

_Zakyo__ smiled as __Okoru__ sat on the side rubbing his head._

_"So why were you running?"_

_"Oh, __Okoru__-__baka__ said he would kill me for accidentally dropping his kunai in the river."_

_Rei__ glared at __Okoru__ who flinched._

_"__Okoru__, she's just a little girl! If you hit her, I'll pummel you! Do you understand?"_

_"Yes, __Rei-chan__."__Okoru__ said._

_Zakyo__ watched with interest as her cousin was easily subdued. She grinned and __Okoru__ glared at her. _

**End Flashback**

Zakyo grinned as she remembered her cousins' nickname, she would have to use it again after the battle. Ever since that day Zakyo had looked up to Rei, but it wasn't until Okoru told her about why Rei had left that she truly respected her. When she had heard about how Rei had left to keep them safe she had felt both sad and proud of the girl that had become an older sister. She had missed her and she had trained hard to become stronger in the hopes of becoming as skilled as her. She looked up at her and grinned as she saw Rei smile at her. She would definitely win.

Ino was puzzled as she watched Zakyo grinning widely.

"Well, I look up to her because she's the best kunoichi out there. I'm not saying that because she's my friend or because she's stronger than me, but because she is the strongest person I know. She always looks out for us and she's always there when we need her. She is powerful, but she never abuses her power and always tries to do what's right even when it makes her sad. That's why I look up to her and that's why I want to become as strong as her. Because of that, I can't lose this battle, but I won't use you anymore to entertain my friends, because she wouldn't like that so I'll finish this now."

Zakyo made some hand signs and smirked. Ino got ready for whatever was next.

* * *

Rei watched as Zakyo made some very familiar hand signs. She turned to Okoru. 

"I see you helped her train." She said smirking.

"Yeah, well, she wouldn't stop whining until I did."

Rei smiled.

"I'm glad you helped her, she always wanted to train with you. Still, I'm a bit surprised you taught her that technique. Has she actually mastered it?"

"Of course she has. She wouldn't stop training until she did."

"Well, we'll see if she really has."

* * *

Zakyo grinned as she saw Ino's puzzled expression. She knew Ino wouldn't know what she was doing as the technique was only used by her and Okoru. 

Ino watched as Zakyo stood there. She wondered what she was doing as nothing happened. Soon she noticed something happening. She looked closer and realized that Zakyo was somehow gathering water.

"How are you doing that?" Ino asked.

"That's a secret." Zakyo responded cheerfully.

* * *

Naruto turned to Rei and Okoru. 

"How is she doing that? There's no water around."

"You're wrong. There's always water around." Rei said.

"Okoru, you should explain this one."

He nodded and looked at Naruto.

"That technique was invented by my father and is only known to me and Zakyo. It basically uses chakra to gather the moisture in the air and any other source and converts it to water. That water can then be used in battle in some of the usual attacks from Kirigakure. This technique was specifically developed for fights away from any water source as shinobi from Kirigakure rely heavily on water and are therefore often at a disadvantage when fighting away from home. However, because of the complexity of the attack it requires a large amount of chakra and super control of it. It is a very difficult technique and Zakyo has just recently mastered it."

"Then do you think she'll win."

Rei turned to Naruto and grinned.

"She won the moment her opponent was decided."

* * *

Zakyo smirked as she now had sufficient water for an attack. 

"Get ready." She said.

Ino frowned and got ready for the coming attack. Zakyo made some hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Snakes!"

The water turned into several snakes and lounged towards Ino. She dodged then and ran around the arena, trying to avoid getting hit. Still, the water was too fast and Ino was getting slow.

_'She won't last much longer.' _Zakyo thought.

One of the snakes scratched Io's leg and she stumbled for a second. That was all Zakyo needed as a snake hit Ino and slammed her against the wall. She slid down, unconscious. Zakyo was declared the winner and Rei smiled as she watched Zakyo grinning widely. She glanced at Okoru and saw him smiling. Zakyo went over to them and grinned.

"How did I do, Rei-san?"

"You did well Zakyo-chan, you've really gotten strong."

Zakyo blushed and Rei smiled.

"I wonder who's fighting next." Naruto said.

Rei looked at the board and her eyes widened when she saw who was next. She looked at Okoru and saw that he was as surprised as she was. Yu couldn't believe it and neither could Zakyo. Naruto looked at the board.

"Hey, Rei-chan, you're next, and it looks like you're fighting Okoru."

Naruto turned to Rei and was surprised at how pale she looked.

"Rei-chan, are you alright?"

"Yeah…"

She turned to Okoru.

"Good luck."

Okoru nodded and they both headed down to the fighting arena.

_**End Chapter Thirty-Seven**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ****lovefatedestiny****Jayde****Raine****Mizu****Hime****, jjayno1, MistFairie93, ruler of dragons, ****Hibiki-chan****Valinor's**** Twili****ght, ****Skyheart****Uchiha**** Sasha****tru****-viet****, and larrycucumber2**** for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei****, the dashing ****Okoru****, the arrogant, Yu, and the childish ****Zakyo.**

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**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

Rei and Okoru walked down to the fighting arena and stood before each other. Rei looked at Okoru andcould see that he felt as uneasy as she did. He looked unusually serious and a bit pale. She sighed and tried to calm down.

* * *

Yu and Zakyo watched from above as their friends got ready to fight for the chance to advance in their quest to become chunin. Naruto turned to them. 

"Hey, who do you guys think will win?"

Zakyo turned to Yu expecting an answer as well. Yu looked at her and she knew she didn't know either.

"We don't know."

"How can you not know, aren't you guys friends?"

"Yeah, but we've never seen those two fight against each other, at least not seriously."

"Don't you at least have an idea of who's stronger?"

They thought about it for a second.

"Well, if I had to guess, I would have to say that Rei is stronger, but not by too much. They both have certain advantages over each other and their techniques are very advanced. Those two are the strongest genin I know. In other words, they could be equally matched. If that's the case, this fight could be a long one, and a hard one at that."

"How come you guys don't know who's stronger?"

"Rei-san never fought any of us, even as training. She always said she didn't want to hurt us."

Naruto looked back down at the arena and wondered just how strong Rei was.

* * *

The proctor announced the start of the match and Rei just stood there looking at Okoru. 

"So Okoru, are you ready?"

He nodded, but it seemed to her like something was wrong.

As the others watched Rei and Okoru standing there, they wondered why they didn't start. Suddenly, they both vanished and then they heard the sound of metal hitting metal. They looked up and saw them blocking each other's attack with kunai. Rei swung at Okoru who dodged, but then she spun and kicked him. He was sent back, but he managed to compose himself in time to avoid hitting the wall. He stepped on the wall and jumped off towards Rei. She threw some kunai, but he blocked them. She held her arms up as Okoru hit her making her slide back. He crouched and kicked her legs making her fall. He raised his fist and brought it down with all of his strength. Rei gasped and rolled away in time to avoid getting hit. The ground Okoru punched cracked and sunk. Rei stood up and kicked Okoru. He hit the wall and before he could do anything Rei was in front of him. She grabbed his shirt and tossed him to the ground. Okoru flinched as he saw her throw a kunai at him. He closed his eyes and heard the kunai land next to his head. He opened his eyes and looked up at Rei. He could see that she was upset. He frowned.

"Stand up." She said sternly.

Okoru looked at her strangely before standing up slowly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She said.

Okoru looked away.

"You're not fighting me back and I want to know why."

He didn't say anything. She clenched her fists and grabbed his shirt.

"Damn it Okoru! Fight me!"

She punched him and he stumbled back. He wiped the blood from his mouth and looked at her.

"I can't."

Rei froze and looked at him in surprise. She scowled and charged at him. She drew her arm back and got ready to hit her. Okoru just stood there as Rei's fist moved closer to his face. She stopped and glared at him. She let her arms fall back to her sides and looked at Okoru seriously.

"Fight me."

"No, I can't fight you."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to hurt you."

Rei looked at him and frowned.

"Why not? I hurt you more than you could ever hurt me and I know it. If I beat you while you refuse to fight I won't be able to live with myself."

Okoru didn't look at her and Rei felt the guilt she had been trying to forget come back all at once. She frowned and looked at Okoru seriously.

"I see, so you really are weak."

Okoru looked up in surprise. He was startled to see her smirking coldly at him.

"Now I remember. I left because I couldn't stand being around people that were so weak. I was tired of taking care of you guys and watching you go around bragging about how strong you were. I just couldn't take it anymore. That is why I left."

Okoru just looked at her not knowing what to say.

"You know what the sad thing is? For a while, I thought I shouldn't have left, but now I see I was right to leave. If you can't fight me then you really are weak."

Okoru glared and he could feel his anger building up. He stood up and Rei was a bit surprised at how angry he looked. Without warning he swung his fist and hit her full on. She was sent back and she slid on the ground. She looked up as she held her hand up to her cheek.

* * *

From upstairs Zakyo and Yu watched as Okoru hit Rei. They were surprised, but they knew what had happened. Naruto turned to them with a surprised look. 

"Why was Rei-chan so mean?"

Yu turned to him.

"Rei wasn't mean because she wanted to she did it to make Okoru angry enough so that he'll fight with her. Up until now, he wasn't even trying and Rei doesn't want to beat him like that. She wants to fight him with all of her strength, but only if he does and she doesn't think that it would be fair if she beat him without trying because she knows that he's strong."

Naruto nodded and looked back down at the fight.

"Still, maybe she crossed the line…" Yu whispered so only Zakyo could hear.

Zakyo frowned and nodded.

* * *

Rei stood up and watched as Okoru stood there shaking with what she knew was anger. She frowned, but she knew she had done the right thing. She wasn't doing this just to get him to fight, but also to get him to talk. She knew something was bothering him and she could guess what it was. He was still upset about her leaving and she knew he had to talk about it, but she knew he wouldn't unless she made him. That was just the way Okoru was, he always kept his anger and frustration hidden from his friends and it always hurt her to see him like that. 

Okoru glared at Rei.

"So that's how you feel? Well, I'm sorry we're so weak, but damn it I tried to be strong! I always tried! I always wanted to be as strong as you and help you, but you never gave me a chance to prove how strong I was! Then, when I was finally strong enough you left and…"

He growled and ran at Rei. She was surprised, but managed to dodge as He swung at her. The wall behind her was cracked and she stumbled and fell. She got up quickly and jumped back. She made some hand signs as soon as she saw him making some.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

She breathed out fire, but she knew it hadn't worked. She hadn't thought about her attack and so she hadn't thought of how Okoru could counter. The fire died down and she saw Okoru surrounded by a wall of water. She frowned. Okoru smirked at her.

"I guess I should thank Zakyo for leaving this water behind."

Rei sighed.

"I guess you're serious now aren't you?"

He nodded. She jumped back as Okoru disappeared and appeared in front of her. She dodged his attacks, but he managed to hit her and she stumbled back. He threw a kunai and she dodged it, but he punched her on her side and sent her back into the wall. She flinched as he had hit her where she had been wounded in the forest and jumped to the side to avoid Okoru's next attack. She ignored the pain in her side and jumped up and made some hand signs.

"Wind Style: Raging Whirlwind!"

The wind spun and gathered into a whirlwind which she directed towards Okoru. He scowled and ran to the side to avoid the attack. The attack hit him and Rei felt a bit of concern although she hadn't made it too powerful. The wind died down and she looked around, but couldn't find Okoru. She panicked, but then she jumped away from where she was standing as Okoru emerged from below. She turned to him and saw him smirking. She was panting slightly.

"What's wrong Rei, are you tired?"

She frowned.

"I still have some energy left."

"I hope you do."

Rei was puzzled by that statement, but then she understood. She backed away from him as he started making hand signs. She took out two kunai and frowned as she watched the water gathering around Okoru.

"Damn!" She said.

* * *

Naruto turned to the other two girls. 

"What's wrong? Why is Rei-chan walking away from him?"

"Okoru is about to use one of his most powerful attacks." Yu said.

She looked down at her friends and felt concern wash over her. Rei looked tired, btu she didn't know why. Then she remembered that she had gotten hurt back in the forest. She frowned. Zakyo turned to her.

"Yu-chan, will Rei-san be alright?"

"I don't know…"

Zakyo frowned and looked back down.

* * *

Rei waited for Okoru to attack. She was in pain from the wound in her side and she could feel some blood flowing out. Okoru smirked. 

"Are you ready?"

She smiled weakly.

"Give me your best shot."

_**End Chapter Thirty-Eight**_

**Hope you guys liked it and sorry about the cliffhanger…not! ****Muahaha...****Pardon the moment of randomness.**** Anyways, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	39. Chapter 39

**Hello people I decided to write the next chapter before someone kills me for leaving a cliffy in the last ****chappy. ****Hehe****, cliffy, ****chappy, ****hehe.**** Anyways, thanks to ****Skyheart, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, MistFairie93, ****Mizu ****Hime, ****lovefatedestiny****, Eterna1, larrycucumber2, jjayno1, ****Hibiki-chan, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, ****Tsukinoyo****, and ****tru-viet**** for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei****, the dashing ****Okoru****, the arrogant Yu, and the childish ****Zakyo.**

**NOTE: I was thinking of making another story with one of my other OC's. The options ****are,**** Yu, ****Zakyo****, and ****Okoru**** and you guys can help me choose a pairing and choose a character. I know some of you guys liked those three so I'm offering you guys a chance to tell me what to write for these three. I'll only do one story for one of them so vote.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

Rei watched as Okoru got ready to attack and got ready for what was coming. She watched as the water began to take form and frowned. She knew she would have to move quickly to avoid getting hit, but it would be hard while she was injured from the fight in the forest. The water around Okoru took shape. She took a step back as the water snakes surrounding Okoru looked at her menacingly.

"Water Style: Hundred Water Snakes!"

The snakes shot out towards her and she took off running. She stopped as a snake crossed her path and jumped back. The snake was hit by another snake that was pursuing her, but they just took their form again. She dodged and slashed at the water as it tried to hit her. She knew the force behind the attack and she knew if one of them hit her she would be in trouble. She jumped up as one of the snakes threatened to hit her. She swerved to the side as another lunged at her. She flinched as it grazed her injury. She wouldn't be able to keep dodging for too long.

She tried to think of a way to get to Okoru, but she knew he always kept at least two snakes near him in case the enemy got too close. She would have to deal with the ones chasing her first. She ran up the wall and jumped off just as a snake crashed into it making a large hole. She made some hand signs.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

She hoped her plan would work. When the fire died down she was pleased to see that there were fewer snakes to deal with. She knew Okoru had no time to gather the water that was vaporized and make more snakes. She smirked, but was surprised when a snake appeared before her. She slashed at it with a kunai and landed clumsily on the ground. She jumped to the side as another snake threatened to hit her, but it managed to knock her back as it barely touched her. She flinched as she was slammed against the wall. She looked ahead and moved to the side to avoid getting hit, but one of the water snakes caught her arm. She felt a sharp pain and heard a loud crack. She screamed out in pain and slashed at the snake. She jumped out of the way as some more tried to attack her.

Now she was in trouble. She was badly injured and couldn't make any more hand signs. She glanced at Okoru and saw that he looked somewhat stunned. She knew he really didn't mean to hurt her, but he was upset with her and she didn't blame her. She knew that she deserved what she was getting. As she ran she thought back to the day she had left.

**Flashback**

_Rei__ walked down the streets of __Kirigakure__ and headed for the forest. As she walked she __had the feeling that someone was watching her. She shrugged it off and kept going. She was too concerned with what she was doing to care about anything else. She knew she had to get out of the village before they found out what she had done.__ She kept thinking of her friends and of how upset they would be when they saw that she had left. Still, she couldn't stay there anymore. She couldn't bear to see them suffer because of __her.She__ sighed as she looked down at her bloodied hands and knew she was doing the right thing. _

_"So, I guess you're leaving for good this time."_

_She turned around and came face to face with __Okoru__. She frowned and looked away. __Okoru__ sighed and walked over to her._

_"How, did you find me?"_

_"I went to your house. I knew you were leaving when I saw your mother and your father's weapons were missing too."_

_She looked down at the ground._

_"__Rei__, look at me."_

_She did and she could see that he was sad. _

_"I'm sorry, I have to go."_

_"No, you don't. You can stay here. We'll help you."_

_"__Okoru__, I can't, I can't put you guys in danger! You saw what I did to my mother! I'm dangerous!"_

_"No, you're not! I know you wouldn't hurt us! We're friends!"_

_"I don't care!__ I don't care about you!__"_

_Okoru__ froze. __Rei__ looked at him and knew she had hurt him, but if it was the only way to keep him safe she would rather have him hate her._

_"I don't care about what happens to you. I have to get stronger and for that I have to go with __Orochimaru__. I can't afford to be distracted with you anymore."_

_She turned around and walked off._

_"You're lying…"_

_She stopped._

_"Tell __Zakyo__ to stop looking up to me and make sure Yu doesn't overdo things."_

_Okoru__ didn't say anything as she stood there with her back to him. Suddenly she felt him grab her arm. He spun her around and hugged her._

_"__Rei__ you dumb brat, why do you always have to do this? Why can't you let us help you? Why do you always have to keep everything to yourself?"_

_She stood still and let him hold her._

_"Because this is none of your concern.__ What I do and what happens to me shouldn't matter to you. If I stay you will only be in danger."_

_She pushed him away gently. He looked at her and frowned._

_"What about __Zakyo__ and Yu?"_

_"Yu won't care and __Zakyo__…tell her to forget about me."_

_"She won't."_

_"She has to."_

_She turned around once more._

_"Take care, __Okoru__-kun."_

_She left and __Okoru__ just stood there for a moment before heading back to the village._

**End Flashback**

_'Man, I really screwed up.'_ She thought.

She dodged and then jumped up. She threw some kunai and missed. Okoru smirked.

"Getting tired?"

"Shut up you jerk!"

She kept dodging and throwing kunai. She also kept missing horribly and Okoru wondered if he had really hurt her so badly that she couldn't throw a kunai straight.

* * *

Zakyo watched as Rei kept dodging her cousin's attacks. She was worried as she could see that Rei was tired and knew she wouldn't be able to keep going for too long. When she saw Rei miss with the kunai she was really worried and Yu was worried as well. 

"Yu, what's wrong with Rei-san?"

"I don't know, but this is bad. She can't make any more hand signs and she's tired and hurt. I don't think she'll make it."

* * *

Rei kept dodging, but she was panting heavily. She held her side and felt blood in her hands. She scowled and threw some more kunai, missing again. She stopped and looked at Okoru. She smirked when she saw that he was getting tired too. His attack took too much chakra and he was reaching his limit. She stopped and Okoru looked at her with a puzzled expression. She smirked and pulled on some strings. Okoru's eyes widened as he understood why she had missed with all those kunai. He felt something tighten around his leg and saw a string. He released his jutsu and cut the string with a kunai before jumping away, but he then realized that he was surrounded with more string. He frowned and felt the strings tighten around him. 

Rei smirked as she looked at Okoru. She was panting heavily and her wound was bleeding, but she was glad to see that her plan had worked. She pulled on the string and Okoru flinched.

"Sorry, Okoru, but it's over."

Okoru sighed. He knew she had won. She would pull the strings at his slightest movement and it would be the end of him. He was also aware that he didn't have enough chakra to keep fighting. He sighed and grinned at Rei.

"I guess you won." He said.

"Yeah, but you put up a good fight."

He smiled weakly at her and she knew he wasn't mad at her anymore.

"The winner is Rei Hatori!" The proctor said.

Rei released Okoru who fell to the ground and just stayed there. She flinched and held her side as she let herself fall. She let her arm hang loosely at her side as she sat on the ground. The medic nins arrived and she watched as Okoru was put on a stretcher. Some more went up to her. She let herself be treated and then she was taken away to the hospital. She sighed and closed her eyes. She was tired and she really needed to sleep. She would visit Sasuke and Okoru when she woke up.

_**End Chapter Thirty-Nine**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for the shortness, but I'm busy. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	40. Chapter 40

**Hello People! Sorry for not updating in such a long time, but I've been very busy with some art projects. Anyways, ****thanks to ****Mizu ****Hime, ****Skyheart, ****SunfeatherxAshfur, ****love-jerk, star ****saphire, ****lovefatedestiny****, larrycucumber2, ****Jayde ****Raine****, jjayno1, MistFairie93, ****Hibiki-chan, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, Lyris88, Eterna1, ruler of dragons, and ****uchiha ****hikari**** for reading and reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely ****Rei****, the dashing ****Okoru****, the arrogant Yu, and the childish ****Zakyo.**

* * *

**Chapter Forty**

Rei woke up in the hospital and groaned as she had always hated hospital rooms.

"Hey, guys, she woke up."

Rei looked up and saw Naruto along with Yu and Zakyo standing by her bed. Zakyo grinned widely along with Naruto while Yu just smirked.

"Rei-San, you're up!" Zakyo said happily.

She jumped towards Rei who gulped and got ready for the pain. Luckily Yu caught Zakyo by the back of her shirt and prevented her from hugging Rei.

"Zakyo, take it easy on her. She just woke up and Okoru really did some damage."

Zakyo looked at Rei and then at Yu before sighing in defeat. Rei sighed in relief.

"How is Okoru-Kun?"

"We just came from his room, he's alright, he's just being lazy so he decided to take a nap and we had to leave."

Rei laughed.

"What about Sasuke."

"They won't let anyone visit him." Naruto said.

Rei frowned.

"Well, I'm sure he's fine. He's too stubborn to let anything get between him and getting stronger." She said smirking.

Naruto smiled.

"Hey, do you think the nurse would let me visit Okoru?"

Yu shook her head.

"You're way too injured to walk around."

"Am not! I feel fine." She whined.

Yu smirked and poked her on her side.

"OW! What the hell was that for!?!"

"I told you you're hurt. The wound on your side could open up. Besides, your arm is broken."

Rei frowned.

"Fine." She pouted.

"Don't worry Rei-San, you're so strong, I know you'll be better soon!" Zakyo said.

"That's the spirit Zakyo-chan!" Rei said before laughing maniacally.

The other two just sweatdropped. Yu shook her head.

"Hey, does this happen often?" Naruto asked her.

"Sadly, yes."

They watched as the two girls acted in a manner resembling Gai and Lee. Yu finally lost her patience and stopped them.

"Zakyo, stop, we need to tell Rei about the third exam."

"Oh, that's right!"

"What do you mean?" Rei said.

"The third exam is going to be a tournament. We all got our opponents already." Naruto said.

"Who am I fighting?"

"You're fighting me." Yu said.

Rei frowned slightly before grinning.

"I guess I'll have to train when I get out of here."

Yu smirked.

"You better train, because I'll train hard too."

"Don't worry Rei-San, I know, you'll beat her easily!" Zakyo said happily.

Yu smacked her on the head.

"Hey, what was that for!?!"

"Shut up you Baka!"

"Yu-Chan is so mean!" Zakyo whined.

Rei and Naruto laughed.

"What about you guys? Who are you fighting?"

"I'm fighting the Otonin." Zakyo said.

"Well, then you better train, Zakyo-Chan."

"I will!"

Rei smiled and turned to Naruto.

"What about you Naruto-Kun?"

"I'm fighting Neji in the first round."

Rei smiled when she saw that he looked slightly nervous.

"Well, don't worry, I know you'll win."

Naruto smiled and nodded.

"Of course I will. I'll train hard!"

Rei grinned.

"What about Sasuke?"

Naruto frowned slightly.

"He's fighting Gaara."

Rei was a bit puzzled at Naruto's reaction as she hadn't seen Gaara fight. Naruto told her about Gaara's fight with Lee. She frowned and sighed.

"Well, I can see that Gaara is a troublesome foe, but like I said, Sasuke is too stubborn to lose. I'm sure he'll think of something and if Kakashi is helping him train like you said then I'm sure he'll be fine. For now, we should just worry about our own battles."

They nodded in agreement. Rei wouldn't tell them, but she was a bit worried about Sasuke. Still, she knew he would be alright, he really was too much of a cocky jerk to lose. She smirked at the thought of the great Uchiha losing. That would be something interesting indeed. Naruto, Yu, and Zakyo stayed for a while. They left late and Zakyo promised Rei she would visit the next day.

""You better visit me. You guys have no idea how boring it gets in here."

"Maybe you get bored because of your poor attention span." Yu said.

"Hey!"

Yu smirked.

"Just don't do anything to make your injuries worst while we're gone."

"Fine." Rei said.

Her friends left and she sighed and looked around the empty room. The day dragged on forever as she couldn't get up and she couldn't use her left arm, which was in a cast. She hoped she would be able to get out of the hospital soon. Apart from that she wanted to see Sasuke and Okoru. She sighed and went to sleep.

* * *

When Rei woke up the following morning she groaned as she remembered that she was still in the hospital. Still, she was relieved to see that she felt better. She tried to walk and was relieved to see she could walk without any pain. She laid down again as she heard someone approaching. Zakyo entered the room and smiled widely when she saw that Rei was awake. 

"Good morning, Rei-San."

"Good morning, Zakyo-Chan."

Rei was happy to see one of her friends.

"Yu didn't come?"

"She said she would train."

Rei nodded.

"Shouldn't you be training too?"

"I will, I just wanted to come see you."

Rei smiled.

'Well, thanks, but you shouldn't worry so much about me. You should worry about yourself and train to get stronger."

"Don't worry Rei-San, I'll train hard and someday I'll be as strong as you!"

Rei frowned slightly. She sighed and Zakyo looked at her curiously.

"What's wrong, Rei-San?"

"Zakyo, stop following me."

Zakyo was puzzled. She frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you shouldn't try so hard to be like me. I'm not as strong as you think I am and if you worry too much about me you could be in danger."

"That's why you left right? So we would be safe. Well, that's why I want to be like you. I want to be strong like you so that I can keep my friends safe."

Rei was surprised, but she smiled. She sighed in defeat.

"Just don't overdo it."

Zakyo grinned.

"Do you know anything about Okoru?"

"Oh, Okoru-baka, is fine. The doctor said he could go home today after his check up. I'm here to pick him up too."

"Oh, that's good. Make sure to tell him to stop by or I'll pummel him when I get out."

"You'll pummel who?"

Rei and Zakyo turned to look at the person who had spoken. Okoru was standing by the doorway. He had bandages on his neck and arms from where the wires had cut him. He smiled at the two girls.

"Hello brat, hello Rei."

Zakyo glared at her older cousin while Rei grinned. Okoru frowned slightly when he noticed the cast she had on her arm. He walked over to them.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm fine, just bored. Not much to do here."

Okoru smiled.

"What about you? How do you feel?"

"I'm alright, I just have a few cuts and bruises. I still wonder how you got the worst injuries and still managed to win."

"I'm just that good." Rei said cockily.

Okoru sighed and shook his head.

"Whatever, you know, I forgot how immature you are."

Rei stuck out her tongue and Okoru chuckled.

"Hey, do you guys know anything about Sasuke?"

"I don't think they're letting anyone see him right now."

Rei frowned.

"I'm sure he's fine." Okoru said.

"Yeah, I know."

"Okoru-baka, let's go, I have to train!" Zakyo said impatiently.

Okoru glared at his cousin.

"Shut up you brat, if you want to go then go. I'm going to stay here for a while."

"No! Yu-Chan told me to come and pick you up and I will!"

Rei watched with amusement as they glared at each other.

"Okoru-Kun, it's alright, you can come back some other time."

Okoru sighed.

"Fine, let's go you little pest."

Okoru flinched as a kunai passed by his head. He turned around to see Rei smiling innocently.

"Be nice you two."

"Yes mam!" Okoru said shakily.

Rei laughed as her friends left. For most of the day she was bored as she had nothing to do. She tried to sleep, but she couldn't. That's when she got an idea. She smirked. She knew there weren't a lot of nurses around at night and so she thought she would sneak into Sasuke's room. She got out of bed and opened the door. She looked around, but there wasn't anyone outside. She grinned and began making her way to Sasuke's room. When she got there she was relieved to see that there weren't any nurses or guards around. She went into the room and tried to focus as it was dark. Unfortunately she failed to see a chair in her way and hit it with her bare foot.

"Son of a-" She covered her mouth with her hand, but it was too late.

"Who's there?"

She didn't say anything, she didn't know what to say. She gasped slightly when she felt a kunai pressed to her throat. The lights went on and she was immediately released.

"Rei? What are you doing here?"

She laughed nervously and Sasuke sighed. He looked at her and noticed her injured arm.

"What happened?"

"Oh this? It's nothing really."

Sasuke frowned. He led her to the bed and sat next to her.

"Who did you fight?"

"Okoru-Kun."

"Did he do this?" He said.

Rei could tell he was upset.

"Well, yeah, but I won!"

Sasuke sighed.

"You should be more careful."

Rei grinned.

"You worry too much."

Sasuke sighed again.

"I worry because you're careless. What kind of Shinobi get's caught sneaking into a hospital room?" He asked with amusement.

"Well, it wasn't my fault! That stupid chair was in my way!" Rei said indignantly.

She glared at the offending piece of furniture while Sasuke chuckled and shook his head.

"Hey, stop laughing you jerk!"

Sasuke looked at her once he had stopped laughing.

"It's good to see you again."

Rei blushed slightly.

"It's good to see you too, even if you are a jerk."

Sasuke smirked and kissed her. Rei was taken off guard and she felt Sasuke smirk. He broke the kiss and smirked cockily at her. Rei stuck out her tongue.

"Wipe that stupid smirk off your face you cocky jerk."

Sasuke chuckled.

Rei smiled and stood up.

"Well, I better go. I'll come back tomorrow."

Sasuke frowned slightly.

"Fine, just take care and don't do anything stupid to make your injuries worst."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

Sasuke smirked.

"Goodnight, Sasuke-Kun."

"Goodnight, Rei."

Rei left and she was glad she had snuck out of her room.

_**End Chapter Forty**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. Sorry about the shortness.The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	41. Chapter 41

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter and sorry for not updating in so long, but I've been a bit busy lately. At least I'll have some more time since y classes are mostly art classes. Anyways, thanks to ****Mizu****Hime****, MistFairie93, ****Hibiki-chan, ****Skyheart****, Eterna1, ruler of dragons, ****Tsukinoyo, ****lovefatedestiny****, larrycucumber2, Lyris88, ****tru-viet, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, and ****Uchiha**** Sasha**** for reading and reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely yet clumsy ****Rei****, the dashing and cowardly ****Okoru****, the childishly charming ****Zakyo**** and the Arrogant yet powerful Yu.**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-One**

Rei woke up early tat morning. In fact the sun was barely rising when she looked out her window. She grinned and got up. She made a clone of herself and instructed it to stay in bed while she walked out and carefully made her way to Sasuke's room. She made it there without running into anyone and entered the room. She was surprised to see Sasuke was up and dressed in his regular clothes. He turned to her and frowned. She closed the door and walked up to him. She smacked him on the head before he could do anything.

"Why did you do that?" He asked.

"Because you were leaving without saying bye you jerk."

Sasuke sighed.

"I know, but I didn't want you to know I was leaving."

"Why not, it's not like I care." She said blankly.

Sasuke turned to look at her with a bit of confusion in his face.

"I mean, you're just leaving to train with Kakashi right?"

"How did you know that?"

"Naruto told me, but I could have guessed on my own. Besides, you'll need the training if you're going to fight Gaara."

Sasuke frowned.

"Just make sure to get back here in time for the fight and you better win."

He smirked.

"I will, you should train too. I don't know much about who you're fighting, but you better win."

"Of course I'll train! By the time you get back I'll be able to beat you."

"Yeah right."

He smirked and she grinned at him.

"I should leave before a nurse comes." He said.

Rei nodded. Suddenly she hugged him.

"Good luck."

"Hn."

She looked up at him and glared at him slightly.

"I told you to stop saying that."

"Hn." He said smirking.

She sighed in exasperation.

"Well, I guess I should get back to my room too. I'll see you during the exam."

Sasuke nodded and she left.

Rei went back to her room and dismissed her clone. She yawned as she got in her bed. She slept for a while and when she woke up she just looked out the window. She was _very_ bored. Luckily for her Okoru decided to visit her. He stepped in with some flowers and she smiled.

"Okoru-kun, I knew you wouldn't abandon me! I'm sooooo bored!!!" She said dramatically.

Okoru sweatdropped and put the flowers in a vase by Rei's bed.

"Yeah, well I had to get away from Zakyo to come here since she wanted to train and then I met this weird girl at the flower shop."

He shuddered and Rei had to wonder who he had met.

"Who was it?"

"I don't know, some blonde girl. She works there."

"Oh, you met Ino."

"Ino?"

"Yeah, she's one of Sasuke's fangirls." She said smirking.

Okoru grew a bit pale and she tried very hard to not laugh at his expression. She knew he had had some bad experiences with fangirls. Of course this only made things more interesting.

"I guess you'll have to be more careful around her Okoru." She said mockingly.

"What happened at the flower shop, anyways?"

"That's none of your business." He said quickly.

Rei laughed and he glared at her. After a while she stopped laughing and turned to her friend.

"So, how is the training going?"

Okoru frowned.

"How do you think it's going? I'm training with Zakyo."

"Oh, come on it's not so bad."

"I know, but I just wish she wasn't so energetic." He sighed.

Rei grinned.

"You know, I always wondered how it was possible for you two to be related. I mean, you look alike, but you act differently. Zakyo is always happy and energetic, while you're always boring and lazy."

"Hey!" He said indignantly.

She grinned and Okoru just sighed.

"Well, I still wonder how you can be so annoying when you should be thinking about what could happen."

"What do you mean?"

Okoru sighed and she could see that he was serious.

"I mean, Orochimaru. We don't know what he wants or where he is. If he's still here you could be in danger. Do the people here know about your connection with him?"

Rei sighed and grew more serious at the mention of Orochimaru.

"The Hokage and some of the Jounin know. Of course my teammates know as well. Still, it doesn't matter who knows, if Orochimaru wants me back he'll get me back."

"Don't say that! I won't let him take you back!"

"Relax, if he wanted me back he would have done something already, It's clear that he has another purpose. The Hokage must be aware of that too."

Okoru sighed and looked at his friend warily.

"Still, I would feel better if you had some protection."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"You said that last time and you ended up wandering around until Konoha found you."

"I was fine during that time."

"No, you weren't. Orochimaru was after you and you were barely able to stay away from him. If the Hokage hadn't sent those shinobi to find you Orochimaru would have gotten you back."

"So what? At least you guys were safe!"

Okoru sighed and shook his head.

"Yeah, but you weren't."

She looked at the older boy and then out the window. She knew he was right. She had had a hard time while she had been trying to escape from Orochimaru. She knew that if it hadn't been for Konoha's shinobi she would have been captured by Orochimaru. She looked back at her friend and smiled.

"Well, enough about that, let's talk about something that isn't so depressing."

Okoru frowned slightly, but he knew she wouldn't talk about Orochimaru if she didn't want to. He sighed and sat down next to her bed. Suddenly he smirked.

"Soooo…did you talk to your boyfriend?" He said mockingly.

Rei's eye twitched and she smacked him on the head.

"Yes, I talked to Sasuke. He left this morning to go train."

"He left? Was he released already?" He said surprised.

"No, he just left."

"Aren't you worried?"

"No, why?"

"I don't know, I just thought you would be."

"He's just going to train. Speaking of training, I need someone to train with."

"Let me guess, you want me to train with you." He said flatly.

"Yep, you got it!"

He sighed.

"Fine, but I have to train with Zakyo too. We don't know much about her opponent so we have to be careful."

"You really think so? I thought he seemed pretty weak. I think Zakyo can take him on, I mean, you said it yourself, she's gotten stronger."

"Still, she needs to train. There's something I've been helping her with."

"A new technique?"

He nodded.

"Alright, don't worry, I won't need to train too often since I know Yu and my arm will take a while to heal."

"About that…sorry, I guess I got carried away during our fight."

She looked at him and noticed that he looked sad. She smiled at him.

"It's alright, I might have gone too far as well."

"Yeah, but you really didn't mean what you said."

"And you did?"

He frowned.

"I meant some of it."

She sighed.

"I know and I'm sorry about leaving you guys."

"I know, and it doesn't matter, what mattered to me was that you left to protect us when I had always wanted to protect you. You never gave me a chance to show you how strong I was. You never let me help you."

He looked down at the floor as he thought back to when she had left. He had felt useless as he saw his closest friend walk away to ensure that he was safe. He felt pain like he had never felt before as he thought of the possibility of it being the last time he saw her. Rei knew what he was thinking. She sighed.

"I know you're strong."

Okoru looked up at her and was surprised by her serious yet gentle expression.

"You're one of the strongest people I know, but I care about you and the others too much to put you in any danger. I always trusted you and you helped me more than you know. If it hadn't been for you and the others I would have died long ago. You gave me hope. You were the reason I didn't just give up and let myself be killed. There were many times when I could have died, but I always thought of you guys and I always got up and fought to the best of my abilities so that I could see you again. When I was running from Orochimaru the only thing I thought about was seeing you again."

Okoru didn't now what to say. He smiled and hugged Rei who was taken by surprise.

"You stupid brat. You should have let me protect you."

Rei smiled and held him. She rested her head on his shoulder. She had missed her friends more than she had thought. Suddenly she got an idea. She pushed herself off of Okoru and grinned.

"I know, why don't you guys stay at my house while you're here!?!"

Okoru was surprised by her sudden offer.

"Are you sure it's okay with you?"

"Of course it is! I missed you guys and I want to spend some time with you, besides it'll make training easier!"

"I know, but are you okay with living with Zakyo?" He said smirking.

"Of course I am! I'm not the grumpy jerk that gets annoyed so easily."

She grinned and Okoru sent a slight glare at her.

"Whatever, you brat, do you know when you're getting out of here?"

"No, the doctor hasn't said anything. Why don't you ask him?"

He sighed.

"Fine I will. I should go. Zakyo will probably be here in a while so I should try to hide somewhere else." He said lazily.

Rei sweatdropped.

"It's nice to see you two get along so well."

He smirked.

"Yeah, well you try being with her for as long as I've been. You haven't even seen her when she's hyper."

Rei laughed.

"Well, I think it was nice of you to ask your father to take her in after her parents had died. I think she appreciates it too. Maybe you shouldn't fight so much with her."

"I guess, but it would be kind of weird for us to get along."

She chuckled and he smiled.

"Well, I guess I'll come back tomorrow, I'll ask the doctor when you can leave."

"Alright, good luck with hiding from Zakyo."

"Yeah, I'll need it, that brat can practically smell my annoyance."

Rei shook her head as her friend left.

_**End Chapter Forty-One**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for taking so long and making it short but I've been a bit busy. Anyways, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	42. Chapter 42

**Hello people! Sorry for not updating in a while, but I've been busy. Anyways, thanks to**** larrycucumber2, MistFairie93, ****uchiha**** black, jjayno1, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, Lyris88, ****Hibiki-chan, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, and ruler of dragons**** for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. ****Oh, and now I'll tell you guys where my inspiration for ****Okoru**** came. Well, I based ****Okoru**** off of my friend Chris because he's lazy and crazy and scared of me like ****Okoru**** is scared of ****Rei****. He can be pretty serious though and he always fights with his real life cousin like Okoru does with Zakyo but he's like a brother to me. Believe it or not he actually has fangirl problems, poor guy. ****Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the lovely and clumsy ****Rei****, the dashing and lazy ****Okoru****, the childishly charming ****Zakyo**** and the arrogant yet loyal Yu.**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Two**

Two days after Sasuke's departure Rei as released from the evil hospital room of doom. Okoru was there to pick her up and she grinned as soon as she saw him. Okoru just smirked and waved at her.

"Okoru-kun, you actually came to pick me up!"

"Of course you brat, you know I wouldn't let you go home on your own. Besides…Zakyo is looking for me…"

He turned away and Rei had to try very hard to hold back her laughter. However, she didn't succeed and Okoru just glared at her while she laughed. He sighed and shook his head.

"Let's just go alright."

Rei smirked and nodded.

"So how do you like my dad's house?" She asked.

"Thanks for letting us stay, it's much better than the inn we were in."

Rei smiled and Okoru smiled back. Suddenly she grinned mischievously and Okoru had an uneasy feeling.

"So, have you seen Ino lately?"

Okoru's eye twitched and Rei began laughing.

"That's not funny you brat!"

"Well, I disagree, I find it extremely amusing."

Okoru glared at Rei, but he stopped and Rei saw him grow pale. He gulped and Rei almost died of laughter as she saw what he was looking at. Okoru, had had the misfortune of running into Ino who had now spotted him and was making her way towards him while shoving innocent bystanders aside.

"Okoru-kun, it's soooo nice to see you!" Ino squealed as she reached him.

Rei wished she had her camera. Okoru's expression was priceless. She watched with much withheld amusement as Okoru's eye began to twitch violently as Ino ranted on about completely unimportant things. Okoru shot Rei a pleading look and she just smirked wickedly. Ino continued talking, not noticing the panicked look on Okoru's face. He sighed.

"Um, Ino, I really have to take Rei-chan home, so we have to go." He said nervously.

Ino looked at him and then, for the first time, she noticed Rei who waved back at her. Ino looked back at Okoru.

"Well, why don't I go with you and then I can show you around the village?"

"Well, you see, I, um…"

Okoru looked back at Rei desperately, but she was too entertained to actually help him. She grinned and he just gulped and turned back to Ino.

"I...I kind of have to train with my cousin!" He said a bit too eagerly.

Ino pouted, but quickly smiled again.

"Well, maybe I can train with you too." She said.

Rei had to place her hand on top of her mouth so that she wouldn't laugh as Ino glomped Okoru who seemed close to suffocating.

"Hey, Rei-chan!"

Rei turned around to look at whoever had called out to her and saw Naruto grinning at her as he walked towards her. Rei smiled and waved at the other blonde.

"Hello Naruto-kun."

"Rei-chan, you're finally out of the hospital! That's great!"

"Yep, now I can finally train for the exams."

"Yeah, hey, why don't we go have some ramen to celebrate?"

Rei grinned.

"That sounds great, let's go! Oh wait."

Rei turned to Okoru and smirked.

"I guess I'll see you later Okoru-kun. Good to see you again Ino."

"WHAT!?! NOOOOO!!! DON'T LEAVE ME!!!" Okoru cried out.

Rei just waved and walked away with Naruto. As she left she heard Ino squeal and Okoru scream rather shrilly. She couldn't help but smirk. A while later they finally arrived at the r amen shop and ordered their food.

"Hey, Rei-chan, how's Sasuke?"

Rei frowned slightly, but then smirked.

"Well, you know how he is, he's too much of a power obsessed jerk to stay in the hospital for too long. He actually left a while ago to train."

Naruto just looked at Rei a bit surprised. Then he started laughing.

"Yeah, you're right, he really is too much of a jerk to stay in the hospital."

Rei grinned.

"What about you, who are you training with?"

"Oh, well, I met this perverted hermit that's been helping me, actually I should go look for him. He keeps running away." He complained.

Rei grinned.

"I'll help you if you want. I have nothing better to do anyways."

Naruto grinned.

"Okay, let's go!" He said as he dragged Rei away.

Naruto and Rei looked everywhere in the village for the Perverted Hermit and finally found him in the hot springs spying on the women. Rei had the sudden urge to smack him, but just watched as Naruto screamed at him saying something about some "material gathering" interfering with his training. As she watched she got the feeling that there was something strange about the old man. He seemed strangely familiar, but she couldn't remember why. She sighed and waited for the two to stop bickering, which they did a moment later.

The hermit looked at Rei and recognized the girl. He remembered hearing about what had happened to her while she lived in Kirigakure and about how she had escaped from Orochimaru. To him it seemed strange for a girl like her to be able to escape the Sannin, but he had heard about her special abilities. He smiled at the girl.

"And who is your friend, Naruto?"

"Oh, this is Rei-chan! She was helping me find you since you ran away!"

"Hey, hey, what is this about me running away!" He said waving his hands in defense.

He turned to Rei.

"You're giving the girl the wrong idea about me!"

Rei laughed and Jiraya smiled.

"Well, I should get home, bye Naruto."

"Bye Rei-chan and thanks for helping me."

Rei smiled and turned to Jiraya.

"Bye mister hermit, it was nice meeting you."

She turned around and left. Jiraya looked at the girl as she walked away and wondered if she was really the girl he had heard about. He hadn't expected her to be so happy. After al that he had heard about her he had expected her to be more like Sasuke. He would just have to keep his eye on the girl, especially after hearing that Orochimaru was at the exam.

* * *

As Rei made her way home she kept trying to remember where she had seen the hermit before. She sighed and gave up as she reached her house. She walked in and had to dodge a lur of red as Zakyo lunged herself at her.

"Rei-chan, you're home!"

"Yep, where are the others?"

"Well, the only one missing is Okoru." Yu said, walking in.

"Oh, well, he'll probably get home a bit late today." Rei said as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"What did you do?" Yu sighed with the patience that only came from knowing Rei for so long.

"Well, we kind of ran into Ino on the way back and…"

"And?"

"Well…I kind of…left him to get some ramen…"

Yu sighed and shook her head.

"Well, he'll be back eventually and when he does you better hide."

"Yeah, I know." She laughed

"But, if Ino did a good job on him I might not have to hide. Hell, he might be tied to a chair or something like that as we speak." She said cheerfully.

Zakyo smirked and Yu just sighed and walked away muttering something about Okoru being doomed. Rei grinned and followed Yu to the training room.

"So how is the training going?"

"Well, if I told you that it would only make our fight easier wouldn't it?"

Rei grinned.

"I guess you're right."

Yu smirked. Suddenly Zakyo ran into the room and hid behind Rei. Yu and Rei turned to the door in time to see a very disgruntled Okoru enter the room. Rei tried to hold in her laughter, but failed miserably as did Yu. Okoru was now covered in what appeared to be flower petals and had several rips and tears on his clothes.

"Well…it seems…you had a good time…with Ino…" Rei said between laughs.

"I hate you." Okoru growled as he glared at Rei.

"What the hell happened to you?" Yu asked after having recovered.

"Oh well, after Rei abandoned me I was dragged to that infernal flowershop by that demon girl called Ino. Then, after managing to escape by hiding in a particularly large delivery I found out that the flowers were to be delivered to the birthday party of an incredibly annoying girl. A few hour later, after clawing myself out of the party from hell I made it back here. How was your day Rei!?!"

Rei just laughed nervously.

"Now, Okoru-kun, you know I was just joking."

She could see his eye twitching.

"Well, I didn't think it was too funny."

"Oh come on, what could she have possibly done to you that was so bad?"

"Oh no you don't! You just want me to tell you so you can laugh more! Well, you can forget about that. I will never speak of the things that happened in that flower shop."

Rei looked at Okoru questioningly as he seemed to be shaking slightly. She smirked, maybe she had underestimated Ino.

"Fine, I won't abandon you again. Now come on, I have to train."

"Um, Rei-chan, I don't think he's in condition to train." Zakyo said as she watched her cousin as he muttered something about too many flowers.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Rei sighed.

"Come on baka, maybe some ramen will make you feel better."

She grabbed the now traumatized boy and dragged him away to the ramen shop.

"No thanks, do you know how many fangirls are roaming the streets of Konoha right now? With Uchiha gone I'm their next target!"

Rei sighed and shook her head.

"Fine, but you have to go outside someday!"

"Not until the exams I don't and by that time Sasuke will be back."

Rei frowned, but then smirked.

"But you still have to help me train, you promised you would and you also promised Zakyo to help her train."

Okoru sighed and slumped in defeat.

"Fine, let's go, but I want to at least change my clothes."

Rei grinned and nodded. She watched Okoru trudge to his room and shook her head.

"Well, that went better than I had expected." She said cheerfully.

Yu just sighed and walked away. It was always better to just walk away when it came to Rei. Still, she had provided some very good amusement for the day. She smirked, living with her would be interesting, even if it was only until the end of the exams.

_**End chapter Forty-Two**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for taking so long and making it so short, but I've been sick, and apart from that I have school. Anyways, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	43. Chapter 43

**Hello people! Sorry for not updating in a while, but I've been busy with school and other things.****Anyways, thanks to Lyris88, jjayno1, ****Hibiki-chan****, larrycucumber2, ****MistFairie93, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, ****Mizu ****Hime, ****Tsukinoyo, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, and ruler of dragons ****for reviewing.**** Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely yet clumsy ****Rei****, the dashing and cowardly ****Okoru****, the childishly charming ****Zakyo****, and the arrogant yet loyal Yu.**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Three**

Rei and Okoru walked to the ramen shop and Rei had to try not to laugh as Okoru clung to her and looked around as they walked.

"You know, just because Ino is insane doesn't mean everyone else is."

"Easy for you to say." He muttered darkly.

Rei sighed and shook her head. Okoru could be a pain in the butt sometimes, but at least he distracted her. He looked up at his friend who had become uncharacteristically quiet and frowned slightly at the empty look in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he composed himself.

"Huh? Oh, nothing, everything's fine." She said as she smiled.

Okoru frowned at her.

"Yeah right, like that look isn't fake enough."

She sighed and gave him a weak smile.

"You know, for an idiot, you sure are perceptive."

"I have to be to know you so well." He said smirking.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So, what's wrong?"

"Well, nothing really, I've just been thinking about some things."

"What kind of things?" He said suspiciously.

She sighed and stopped. Okoru stopped and turned to her.

"I've been thinking, maybe…I'm not as strong as I though…."

Okoru looked at his friend and then down at the ground. He sighed.

"But, you're strong enough. You shouldn't have to train more."

"I know, but I don't really want to either. I just thought that maybe I should since Orochimaru is around. Besides, if something happens, I want to be able to keep you guys safe, and not just you, but the village."

"You shouldn't worry about that kind of stuff, besides, I told you, you're strong enough already."

"No, I'm not. There are a lot of things I have to learn. Even though my attacks are strong my strategies need some work and you know I need to improve my genjutsu and chakra control."

"Your strategies are fine and so is your genjutsu. What is it that is really bothering you?"

"I guess, I still fell uneasy about Orochimaru being so close."

Okoru sighed and grabbed her hand. He began dragging her away.

"Come on, I'm hungry."

Rei just smirked.

* * *

After eating they went up to the Hokage statues and looked down at the town. 

"Hey, Okoru-kun, are you guys going back after the exams?"

"I guess so, I mean, we just came for that. Besides, if Zakyo stays too long she won't want to leave."

"She already doesn't."

"True. I guess we could stay for a while longer."

"Good, then you can stay with me."

"Won't Uchiha mind?"

Rei smacked him on the head.

"No, he won't mind, and stop calling him by his last name, it's very rude."

"Yes ma'm."

Rei grinned and looked back at the town. She frowned a bit.

"Hey, Okoru-kun, do you think I'm a bad person?"

Okoru looked at her with a questioning look. She turned to him and grinned.

"I know, it's random, but I just wanted to know."

"Rei, you idiot, of coarse you're not. Why would you think that?"

"I don't know, I guess I was just thinking about the time I spent with Orochimaru."

"What do you mean?"

"I was thinking about his training and about the people I killed."

"You really are stupid aren't you?"

"Huh? Why?" She said puzzled.

"Do you feel bad about killing?"

"Well, yeah." She said blankly.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? Killing is wrong."

"You're a shinobi. If you don't kill then you'll be killed. You know that. If you really feel bad about it and if you're right and killing makes you a bad person then I'm a bad person and so are Zakyo and Yu. We've all killed, Rei and we'll do it again if we have to because that is what a shinobi is supposed to do." He said sternly.

"I know that, and I know that we're supposed to kill as shinobi to defend our home. But, there's a difference between the people I killed and the people others killed."

"What are you talking about?"

"Killing someone when you are angry, afraid, or to defend someone or something important is normal for a shinobi, even for a regular person. However, killing innocent people simply because you are told to or because you want to become stronger, that's not normal."

Okoru looked at her and she could see that he was surprised. She sighed and looked back at the village. She looked at the sun as it set behind the forest and the colors mixing together as night approached.

_'Twilight, huh?'_She thought.

_'I guess it fits me as I'm neither good or bad, I'm just caught in the middle.'_

She sighed and looked at her friend who seemed concerned. She smiled.

"Sorry for bringing up such a grim topic, but I guess I'm just one of those people that can't forget about things."

"Yeah, I guess you can't, even if it hurts you."

She smiled and began to walk away.

"I'm going to the marketplace to get some things. You should go back home."

She looked at him and saw that he looked somewhat concerned.

"I'll be back in a little while. Oh and don't let Zakyo wreck my house." She said smirking.

Okoru just sighed and shook his head as he turned back around. He still couldn't understand his friend as well as he wished he could. She could be so confusing at times, but he guessed it was just because she had so many things to think about. Sometimes he wished he could help her, but he knew he couldn't do much. All he could really do was listen to her and try to make her feel better when she needed it. He smirked as he thought that he was really some kind of private shrink.

* * *

Rei walked around the marketplace like she had told Okoru she would. Contrary to what most people would have thought she had actually been honest to Okoru and was not simply trying to get some time alone. In fact she couldn't wait to get back home and bother her friends. She smirked as she thought of the pranks she could play on Okoru as he was now staying with her. 

It was funny, but even after thinking of things as serious as her previous life with Orochimaru and killing people she felt fine. She guessed she was just getting used to dealing with her past as she had been reminded of it a lot lately, especially with the arrival of her friends. She was a bit relieved that she was able to accept things now, but she knew she was still bothered by them a little. She sighed and kept walking. After purchasing what she needed she headed back to her house.

* * *

The next morning Rei woke up and proceeded to wake Okrou up so that they could train. However, he wouldn't wake up as shook him and so she had to resort to more…drastic measures. 

"What the hell!!!" Okoru yelled as he felt something rather heavy land on him.

"Well good morning to you too Okoru-baka." Rei said cheerfully.

"Get…off…heavy." He struggled to say.

Rei glared at him for the heavy comment, but got off of him. He sighed in relief and sat up.

"What do you want?" He yawned.

"I wanna train!"She said cheerfully.

He looked at her before smirking.

"You sound like Zakyo."

Rei smacked him on the head and he glared.

"Why are you so hyper today? I thought you weren't a morning person."

"Oh well, I woke up earlier and had a few energy drinks." She grinned.

"Oh great." He said sarcastically as he began to get out of bet, but stopped and looked at Rei.

"Could you at least get out while I get dressed?"

"Aww, is Okoru-kun shy?" She said mockingly.

"No, I just thought you wouldn't want to see me in my underwear, but if you don't care." He said as he started getting out of bed.

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving!" She said as she got out quickly.

After getting past an annoyed Zakyo (She wanted to train with Okoru) and successfully escaping the grasp of Ino they arrived at the training grounds.

"Alright, what do you want to work on today?" Okoru asked.

"How about taijutsu?"

Okoru looked at her strangely.

"What?" She said.

"It's just that I thought you'd want to train in Genjutsu since you have to fight Yu."

"Why would I? No matter how much I train she'll always be better than me at that. Besides, I'm pretty sure I'll win. I'm actually training to beat Zakyo."

Okoru looked surprised. He smirked.

"And why are you so confident in beating Yu?"

"Well, I know her, and I know that when she fights me she'll try her best, but unfortunately for her that will be her downfall."

"You just lost me." Okoru said blankly.

Rei laughed.

"You'll see what I mean at the exams."

"Riiiight…" He said.

"Well then, let's get started." Rei said as she got ready.

Okoru smirked and nodded. It had been a while since he had sparred with Rei. He got ready and grinned when Rei charged at him. He dodged and jumped up in the air, but Rei appeared behind him. He turned and blocked, but the force of her punch sent him back down at a high speed. He was able to land on his feet and slid a few feet back. He jumped to the side as Rei tried to kick him. He caught her leg and threw her up in the air. He jumped up and punched her, but she blocked and caught his hand. She got behind him and kicked him back down. Okoru got up and smirked at his friend.

"I see you've decided not to use your clones."

"I told you we were working on taijutsu. No ninjutsu is allowed."

"Fine with me."

He threw some kunai and she threw some as well. They clashed in the air and fell to the ground as Rei and Okoru exchanged blows above them. A while later they stopped as Okoru said that she had worked enough and she shouldn't do too much as she had just gotten out of the hospital. Still, Rei couldn't help but notice that he was panting heavily and holding his side as he said it. She grinned and they went back home.

"Hey, Okoru-kun, do you think it would be alright for me to back to Kirigakure?"

"Why would you want to go back?" He said calmly.

He knew she wouldn't go back so he didn't worry too much.

"I have some things I wasn't able to bring with me when I left so I thought I would go get them back. So, do you think it would be alright?"

"I guess, as long as you don't plan on staying there, but do you think your friends will be alright with it?"

"Well, I don't plan on going back anytime soon."

"Then why did you ask." He deadpanned.

"I don't know, I guess I was just bored." She said grinning.

Okoru sighed and shook her head.

"You are so annoying sometimes."

"Yeah, but you know you wuv me."

She glomped him and hugged him tightly.

"Hey, stop that!" He said.

Rei just laughed and failed to notice the slight blush appearing on Okoru's face. He stumbled and fell along with Rei who clung onto him tighter. He opened his eyes and felt Rei on top of him. He looked down and saw her burying her head in his chest. She raised her head and Okoru noticed how close she was. He also noticed how blue her eyes were and how cute she looked when she was surprised. He was surprised himself as he realized what he was thinking. He sat up quickly knocking her down. He stood up and looked down at his friend.

"Um, sorry about that." He mumbled

"It's alright, I guess it was my fault." She said as she smiled sheepishly.

He helped her up and then they went back home. As they walked Okoru tried not to think about what had happened, but he couldn't help it.

_'Damn it! I can't keep thinking about those things. For God's sake she's my best friend. Besides, she's already with someone!' _He thought.

_'But __Sasuke__ isn't here is he?' _He frowned at his thoughts.

He glanced at Rei and when he saw her smiling as she looked around he knew he wouldn't do anything. She was happy and he wouldn't take that away from her.

_**End Chapter Forty-Three**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for taking so long, but I've been busy lately. Anyways, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	44. Chapter 44

**Hello people! Hope you like this chapter and sorry for the long wait.**** Also I want to thank all of you guys for reading this story and supporting it. Thanks to you the story has now reached ****it'****s**** forty-fourth**** chapter and we are still in the ****Chunin**** Exams!**** I hope you like this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to ****larrycucumber2, ****Hibiki-chan****, jjayno1, Lyris88, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, MistFairie93, ruler of dragons, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, and Eterna1 ****for reviewing. Anyways, please review the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely yet clumsy ****Rei****, the dashing but cowardly ****Okoru****, the childishly charming ****Zakyo**** and the arrogant and loyal Yu.**

**Chapter Forty-Four**

Okoru woke up and sighed. He grudgingly go tout if bed and got ready for whatever the day would bring. However, he had no idea of the events that would take place on that sunny day. Once he was ready he headed to the kitchen to make sure Zakyo hadn't burnt anything as it was her turn to make breakfast. For the first time since they had gotten to Rei's house she would have to cook. In fact, he was the one that usually made everyone's meals. He sighed recalling their mediocre method of choosing who was to cook. It had been Rei's idea, of course.

**Flashback**

_The __two losers of the previous round got ready for what was to come. __Okoru__ frowned and glared at his opponent as __Zakyo__ smirked. Their hands were at the ready and their reflexes were equally sharp. The outcome of the match was unknown to __everyone.__Okoru__ felt the sweat dripping from his __forehead.Zakyo__ frowned and scrunched up her face in concentration.__Rei__ looked at the two and announced the start of the match._

_"Rock, paper, scissors!"__ The two said in unison._

_Zakyo__ smirked as __Okoru__ growled with his hand still in the paper position while __Zakyo__ held scissors._

_"The winner is __Zakyo__!" __Rei__ said._

_Okoru__ slumped forward as __Zakyo__ did a victory dance. __Rei__ laughed as Yu smirked._

_"Well, dear cousin of mine__ guess you're cooking this week." __Zakyo__ laughed._

_Okoru__ growled at her, but he had already resigned himself to his fate._

**End Flashback**

It had been like that ever since they got there. He sighed hoping he would win the next tournament. As eh got to the kitchen he was surprised to see Rei making breakfast. She turned to him and grinned.

"Good morning Okoru-kun!"

"Morning….Why are you cooking…?" He said cautiously.

"Well, Zakyo ran away to avoid cooking and you know Yu won't cook. You're too lazy and you've been cooking everyday so I thought I would give you a break." She said smiling.

"Oh, well thanks." He mumbled.

He sat down and Rei gave him his food. They started eating and soon Yu arrived with Zakyo.

"And where were you?" Rei asked Zakyo.

She grinned.

"Oh, I had some things to take care of."

"Oh, really, what kind of things?" Yu said.

Zakyo laughed nervously.

"Alright, you got me, I just didn't want to cook."

Everyone sweatdropped.

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Your food is ready." Rei said.

They ate and after that Yu headed to the training room followed by a whining Zakyo. Apparently she wanted Yu to help her train, but Yu kept arguing that they might have to fight each other and she didn't want Zakyo to see what she was doing. Rei laughed as she listened to her tow friends bicker. She got up and turned to Okoru.

"So, how about we go train now?"

He sighed and slumped over.

"Do we really have to?"

"Yes, you promised."

"Why can't you be nice and just offer to show me around the village? After all, I'm a guest."

"Yeah, but, you already know the village well enough to know where to hide from the fangirls." She said as she smirked.

Okoru just glared and pouted. She laughed at him and pulled him to his feet.

"Come on you lazy boy, we have to train."

Okoru smiled and shook his head.

"Fine, let's go."

They practiced for a while and stopped when Okoru got too lazy, as Rei liked to say. Afterwards they went to get some ramen and ran into Naruto.

"Hello Naruto-kun."

"Hi Rei-chan!"

"How is your training going?"

"Don't worry, I'll be really strong soon!" He said as he grinned.

Rei smiled at the other blonde.

"I'm sure you will. Oh, you remember Okoru-kun, right."

"Hello." Okoru said.

"Of course I do. He was in the exams, he fought against you right?" Naruto said.

"That's right, he's staying with me for a while since Yu and Zakyo still have to fight. Hey, you should stop by sometime."

"I'll try, but I still have to train to beat Neji."

"That's right, you better train hard! I better not see you slacking off!" She said sternly.

Naruto laughed nervously and she smiled. He turned to Okoru.

"Does, she do that often?"

"What, contradict herself, yeah.It's kind of scary actually." He said calmly.

Naruto sweatdropped as Rei smacked Okoru on the head.

"Okoru-baka, don't say things like that! You're such a jerk!"

Okoru rubbed his head as Naruto laughed.

"Hey, Rei-chan, isn't he like Sasuke?"

Rei looked at Naruto strangely.

"Why do you think that?"

"Well, you two always fight, but you really get along well and he's always quiet like Sasuke."

Rei tought about it for a minute. Okoru frowned slightly and thought about what Naruto had said.

_"Maybe I'm just a substitute for __Sasuke__…"_He thought.

"I guess you're right. But you know, Sasuke is different, he's more serious than Okoru-baka."

Okoru sweatdropped.

"Besides, Okoru-kun is like a brother to me."

Naruto looked at Rei and then laughed.

"Yeah, and Sasuke is your _boyfriend_." He mocked her.

He kept laughing and failed to notice the vein that had appeared on her forehead. Rei smacked Naruto and he fell. Okoru just stood there calmly as he was used to his friend's violent behavior. After Naruto had recovered from the blow they talked a bit more and then went their separate ways.

* * *

When they got home Zakyo had made dinner, apparently Yu had done some _negotiating_ and Zakyo had _happily _agreed. The food had been edible, although Okoru had had some complaints which were promptly quieted by Rei. By the end of the meal Yu and Zakyo were smirking, Rei's hand was sore, and Okoru had a few more bumps on his head.

Later that night Rei was sitting outside as Okoru walked by. He smirked and silently approached his friend.

"Don't even think about it."

He stopped and slumped over. Rei turned to him and smirked.

"Hello, Okoru-baka."

Okoru sent a slight glare towards his friend.

"Will you stop calling me that?"

"Nope." She said happily.

He sighed and Rei laughed. She pulled him down and he just sat there next to her.

"Hey, Okoru, I'm sorry about you not being able to become a chunin."

He looked at her and smirked.

"Don't be stupid, you know I don't care. At least you guys still have a chance. You better not ruin it!"

"I won't, I told you I'll try hard to win."

"Yeah, well then why do you think you can beat Yu?"

"I told you, you'll just have to wait." She said as she smiled.

Okoru sighed and shook his head. Rei yawned and leaned on him. He was a bit surprised, but he just stayed still.

"Okoru, you need to eat more and get fat, your bones kind of hurt when I lean on you." Rei said as she smirked.

Okoru felt his eye begin to twitch.

"Then if you want to sleep go to bed."

"No, I'm too lazy, plus, it's too early."

He sighed.

"Oh, come on, you know you like it when I' around to annoy you." She laughed.

Okoru smiled and sighed. He felt strange at being so close to Rei. It was weird since he had never felt like that before. He guessed it was because of his newfound feelings. He sighed. He supposed he would have to tell her someday. Still, he knew he should do it before Sasuke returned as it would be easier to deal with things without him. He sighed and decided to just hold things back. At least he would just have to wait to go back to Kirigakure. Suddenly, Rei sat up and Yu appeared.

"Rei, Sakura is here."

"Yeah, I know." She said calmly as she stood up.

Okoru looked at her questioningly and she grinned at him.

"How did you know?"

"I sensed her. Unlike you, I can't afford to slack off."

Okoru just sighed and shook his head. Rei followed Yu and saw Sakura. She noticed that she seemed somewhat nervous…or was it concern that she saw.

"Hello, Sakura." She said smiling.

"Hello, sorry to disturb you."

"What are you talking about? It's not like we're doing something worthwhile. Besides, we're teammates." She said as she grinned.

Sakura looked at Rei for a minute and then smiled.

"So, why are you here?"

"Well I…I wanted to see if you know where Sasuke is…"

Rei sighed.

"Well, I do, but it doesn't really matter. He'll be fine, I'm sure he's just training. You know how he is. He doesn't want anyone distracting him. He's such a jerk." She grinned.

"Oh, I see…"

Sakura seemed disappointed and Rei sighed.

"Sakura, you shouldn't worry about Sasuke, he's strong. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"Yeah, I know." She said as she smiled.

Suddenly there was a loud crash from somewhere in the house.

"Well then, just don't worry about it. Now if you'll excuse me I believe I have to kill someone."

Sakura sweatdropped as Rei got up and left. She left as well.

Rei walked into the training room and felt her eye begin to twitch. Apparently Okoru had managed to annoy Zakyo again and as a result he had been thrown against the wall. He was currently slumped against it, a large hole was behind him. She sighed and walked over to Okoru. She pulled him up on his feet.

"Okoru-baka, what did you do this time?" She sighed.

"He said I was an annoying brat and he smacked him on the head!"

Rei sighed and smacked Okoru.

"You should really be nice to Zakyo, you know." She sighed.

"Fine." He mumbled.

"Just tell her to stop bothering me."

"Zakyo, were you annoying Okoru?"

"Maybe…"

"Please stop, you know how easily he gets annoyed. I mean, really, who wants to live with an annoyed Okoru, you know how crappy that is and Yu an I would have to put up with him as well."

Okoru sweatdropped at the lack of respect for him.

"I'm sorry Rei-san I didn't think of it that way."

"It's alright." Rei said as she smirked.

Okoru glared at her and she smirked even more.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to sleep. Now that I think about it, there isn't too much time left until the exam continues and I should really train." Rei yawned.

"Oh, and Okoru-kun, maybe you should train with Zakyo tomorrow, I have something to do anyways."

"Alright." He sighed as Zakyo grinned.

As Okoru watched Rei walk away he wondered what it was that she had to do. He sighed and decided that it really was none of his business. He went to bed as he tried to ignore Zakyo as she mocked him. He ignored the twitch in his eye and the throbbing vein on his head. He was not looking forward to training with his cousin.

_**End Chapter Forty-Four**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and sorry if not much happened in this chapter and that it took so long. I've been a bit busy and these chapters could be considered fillers. But before you begin sending death threats just know that I will get back to the exams really soon. Anyways, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	45. Chapter 45

**Hello people! Hope you guys ****like this chapter. Thanks to larrycucumber2, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, ruler of dragons, Lyris88, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, MistFairie93, ****Hibiki-chan, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, ****uchiha**** black, japcherryblosom114, and ****ForeverInTheMoment**** for**** reading and reviewing. Also, a special thanks to ruler of dragons for editing this chapter. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the love yet clumsy ****Rei****, the dashing and cowardly ****Okoru****, the childishly charming ****Zakyo****, and the arrogant but loyal Yu.**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Five**

Rei cursed as she woke up to the furious glare of the sun. She groaned again and rolled over in an attempt to ignore the bright light streaming through the window. Unfortunately, she failed to notice that she was already at the edge of the bed and so she fell with a sudden yelp of surprise and a loud thump as she hit the floor. Meanwhile, Okoru grinned as he heard the noise from Rei's room and knew she was awake. He knocked on her door.

"Rei, just get up, I know you're awake so just accept the fact that you have to get your lazy ass off the bed before noon."

He backed away a bit just a kunai appeared through the door. It got stuck halfway through, but he still had to admire her accuracy when she had just woken up. Still, he was unfazed as the same thing happened every morning. In fact, there were now various small holes and scratches on the door. He sighed at his friend's morning attitude.

"Just try to be in the kitchen in less than an hour." He sighed.

Rei groaned yet again and got up grudgingly. She glared at the door as if she could see Okoru through it and then directed her glare towards the stupid oversized star that had dared to wake her. She trudged to the restroom and got into the shower. She winced and swore loudly as the water hit her skin.

Back in the kitchen Okoru smirked as he served Zakyo her breakfast and Yu walked into the room.

"Sounds like she's in the shower, that was quick." Yu said calmly.

"Yeah, I didn't even have to throw water on her today." Okoru responded.

At that moment, Rei stumbled into the kitchen and collapsed on a chair.

"Coffee…" She groaned as her head fell on the table.

Okoru shook his head and placed a rather large cup in front of her. She looked up and smiled as she looked at the warm drink fondly. Okoru grinned.

"Should I leave you two alone?"

Rei ignored him as she gulped down the drink. She put the cup down and grinned. Okoru sighed as he knew she was now in her regular mood. He wasn't really sure if that was good, but at least she was no longer trying to burn everything and everyone with her glare.

After having breakfast and two more cups of coffee, Rei left on her own. Okoru was going to train with Zakyo for the day. Okoru was still curious about where she was going, but he didn't ask her. He groaned and slumped over as he went to get ready to train with his cousin. Now it was his turn to be in a bad mood.

* * *

Rei walked to the training grounds and stopped at the memorial stone. She frowned slightly. She hadn't told anyone about it, but some days ago she had asked the Hokage about her father in the hope of finding any new techniques. He didn't know anything about that, but he told her that because her father had died trying to defeat Orochimaru his name had been added to the stone. She was a bit surprised to hear this as her father wasn't on a mission, but the Hokage said that trying to get rid of Orochimaru and giving up his life to save her was worthy of a shinobi and if he had succeeded it would have been great for the village.

She sighed as she looked for her father's name. She smiled as she found it and wished she could have gotten to know him more. She had enjoyed training with him when she was small and she had missed him greatly after going to Orochimaru. Just thinking about the way he had died made her angry. After all those years, she still blamed her mother for everything. In her opinion she had been responsible for her father's death. She sighed and just stood there for a while.

"Hatori, Asahi." She read.

She smiled as she remembered her father. It had been a long time since she had last thought of her father as much as she was doing at that moment and she could almost see him as she pictured all of his features as if he was standing in front of her. She could see him in his shinobi clothes with his vest and Konoha Hitai Ate on his forehead. His short silver hair as messy as ever and then she could see his eyes. They were the same eyes she saw every morning when she looked into the mirror. She was glad she had those eyes that were so bright and blue. Still, his eyes were different they were kind and shone with a hint of mischief, but they were also vivid with determination.

"You, know, he was a great shinobi."

Rei turned around and saw the hermit that was training Naruto. She was surprised to see him there and wondered if he had escaped from Naruto again.

"Hello, what are you doing here Mister Hermit." She said cheerfully.

The hermit smiled at the girl.

"Call me Jiraya and I just happened to be passing by when I saw you. Your father was a very good shinobi."

"You knew him?"

"Your father was very popular here in Konoha. He was a fine shinobi, he was very gifted, but he always looked after his friends. You should be proud of him."

"I am, I just wish I could have known him better."

Jiraya just watched the girl as she stood there and had a feeling that she was very much like her father. He smiled, Rei turned to him and smirked in a way that made him uneasy.

"Hey, mister Jiraya, shouldn't you be training Naruto-kun?"

Jiraya laughed nervously.

"Oh, well, I thought it would be good to give him a break. You know, he's been working hard lately."

"Riiiight." Rei said suspiciously.

"Well, I guess I should go, but I think I'll ask Naruto why he isn't training when I see him." She said as she smirked.

She turned and began to walk away. Jiraya stared in surprise before hurrying after her.

"Now, now, is that really necessary? I mean, I'm sure he doesn't mind."

At that moment Rei heard Naruto calling out to the old man.

"Hey, perverted hermit, where are you!?! I know you're hiding here somewhere!"

Rei smirked.

"Naruto-kun!" She called out.

Jiraya cursed his luck as Naruto appeared.

"There you are you prevy old man!"

Rei laughed as Jiraya escaped with Naruto after him. She sighed and decided to walk around the village for a while. She really didn't feel like training and she had trained enough already. The exams would begin soon and she couldn't wait to see Sasuke again. She grinned as she thought of him and hoped that he was strong enough to beat Gaara. From what she had heard he was very strong as he had seriously injured Lee. Still, she wasn't too concerned about it as she knew Sasuke was strong and most of all he was too stubborn. The thought of him losing a fight was rather amusing to her as it would be interesting to see his reaction.

For the time being she decided she should concern herself with her own upcoming fights, but for some reason she couldn't focus too much on them. She knew she sounded somewhat arrogant, but she was almost sure that she would be able to defeat Yu. She knew Okoru would probably laugh if she told him, but she was more worried about Zakyo as she was not sure of what she could do or of what she was working on at the moment. She sighed and decided she would just deal with things when she had to instead of concerning herself with things ahead of time. With that she headed back to the marketplace. She decided to relax for the day and get back to training later.

* * *

Rei woke up and rolled over as she tried to hide from the sun's glare. Sadly, she failed to notice how close she was to the edge of the bed and found herself on the ground for the fourth time that week. She groaned and raised herself up as she cursed at everything she saw. She glared at everything around her room and then she heard footsteps outside.

"Rei, if you're awake, you might want to get your lazy ass up and get ready. The exam starts in half an hour."

"WHAT!!!"

Okoru smirked as he heard her rushing to get ready. He began to chuckle evilly as it was actually an hour and a half until the exams. He just thought it would be funny to bother her before the fight. Unfortunately for him, Rei just happened to look at her alarm clock and didn't find it particularly funny.

Okoru suddenly found himself fighting for his life as Rei desperately tried to choke him to death. He was lucky that Yu walked by and pried Rei off of him. She then sent the fuming girl back to the restroom to get ready for the fight. She turned to Okoru with a smirk on her face.

"Well, you must be either very stupid or suicidal to do that to her, you know she has low blood pressure in the mornings." She said with amusement.

"Yeah, but I couldn't help it. Besides, I'm not dead so things went better than I thought they would." He said as he rubbed his neck.

Yu shook her head at her friend.

* * *

A while later Rei, Yu, and Zakyo found themselves standing in a line in the middle of the fighting arena. Okoru was sitting on the stands waiting for his friends to fight. Rei looked around and sighed. Both Sasuke and Naruto were missing and she wondered if they were fine. She was relieved when Naruto appeared a moment later, but Sasuke was still missing. She shook it off and decided that he would probably just be late, he was after all, training with Kakashi. As she thought about this she failed to hear the proctor talking about the fights. However, she was quickly snapped out of her thoughts at the mention of her name.

"The order of the fights has been altered, please check to see who you are fighting.

She looked at the chart and saw that she now had to fight Yu and then Zakyo right after. She frowned as she wouldn't have time to rest if she beat Yu. Still, she wondered what had happened to make then change the fights. She sighed and glanced at her friends. She didn't see much of a change in Yu, but Zakyo seemed somewhat happy. She smirked as she guessed she was just anxious about the fight.

Naruto was going to fight Neji in the first round so the others headed up to watch the fight. Rei sighed as she leaned on the railing and watched Naruto. She hoped he would win. Actually, she was fairly sure he would. Even with the Byakugan, Neji wouldn't be able to beat Naruto as she knew he was determined to win. He had trained hard and she knew that he had gotten stronger, she could feel the change in his chakra. She smiled as the fight progressed.

After a while everyone was sucked into the fight as Naruto's unexpected moves had surprised the crowd. Apparently, no one had expected him to be able to last against Neji. She smirked, the people of the village really didn't know what Naruto was capable of. Eventually, Naruto beat Neji. Rei was glad as she watched her friend run around the arena while the people cheered.

"Wow, Naruto-kun did really well." Zakyo said.

"Yeah, but the crowd isn't here for him, or for any of us, for that matter." Yu said.

Rei looked at her curiously and Yu turned to her.

"Most of the people are here to see Sasuke fight Gaara. After all, a fight between Gaara of the sand and the last of the Uchiha sounds pretty interesting."

"Yeah, I guess it does." Rei sighed.

Shikamaru's and Temari's fight was next as Kankuro withdrew from the competition. Rei was impressed by Shikamaru's ability to look ahead of his opponent's moves. Temari had fought well, but in the end, Shikamaru's intelligence proved to be too much. After the fight there was some commotion as everyone wanted to see Sasuke and Gaara fight. However, it was decided by the Hokage that they would continue with the tournament while they waited for Sasuke to show up.

"Well, I guess it's our turn to fight." Rei said calmly.

"Yeah, just don't hold back." Yu said.

Rei sighed, but didn't respond. The two girls walked down to the arena and faced each other. They ignored the crowd and the proctor and just stood there looking at each other. Rei had never fought with Yu and she knew that she was looking forward to it, but she was not. She frowned slightly at her friend.

"Yu, although we're fighting for the right to advance as shinobi I refuse to injure you more than is necessary. Because of that I have to ask you not to use _that_ technique."

Yu looked at Rei strangely and smirked.

"I see, so you're trying to do the noble thing and save me from getting hurt. Well, I really don't need you to look down at me and show me mercy. I guess you must think you're too strong for me to defeat, but don't worry, I haven't been wasting my time. I'll show you I don't need you or anyone else to tell me what to do."

Rei sighed. She knew her friend was too stubborn, but she would still hold back from hurting her too much. Meanwhile, Okoru watched as his friends stood facing each other in the center of the arena. He wondered if Rei would actually be able to beat Yu as easily as she had said she would. He still wasn't sure about who would win the fight, but one thing he was sure of was that it would be an interesting battle.

_**End Chapter Forty-Five**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	46. Chapter 46

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Hello people sorry for taking so long to update, but I've been busy with school work. Oh well. Anyways, thanks to**** jjayno1, ****darksnake****1302, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, larrycucumber2, ****Mizu ****Hime, ****ForeverInTheMoment, ****Hibiki-chan****, Lyris88, ruler of dragons, and ****Uchiha**** Sasha**** for reading and reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the clumsy and lovable ****Rei****, the cowardly, yet dashing ****Okoru****, the childishly charming ****Zakyo****, and the arrogant and loyal Yu.**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Six**

Rei and Yu stood in the center of the arena and after hearing what Yu had to say Rei knew that she wouldn't hold back. She sighed at her friend's stubborn attitude.

"Alright, then let's get started."

Yu smirked and nodded. The crowd waited for the fight to begin and Okoru frowned slightly at the smirk on Yu's face. Suddenly, she disappeared. Rei seemed surprised, but then she jumped away just as Yu appeared behind her with a kunai.

Rei landed a few feet away from Yu who ran towards her. Rei took out some kunai and threw them. Yu dodged them easily, but Rei made some hand signs.

"Earth Style: Earth Spikes!"

Several spikes rose from the ground and Yu dodged them. She jumped up to avoid them, but Rei made some more hand signs and the spikes shot out of the ground. Yu frowned and twisted in the air to avoid getting hit. As she spun she threw some kunai. Rei jumped to the side and Yu appeared in front of her. She punched Rei, but Rei blocked the hit and moved behind Yu. She kicked her and sent her a few feet away from her. Yu turned around and smirked.

"Well, I guess your taijutsu and ninjutsu are too strong to beat, which leaves genjutsu."

Rei frowned.

"Yu, don't use that technique, please."

"Sorry, Rei, but anything goes in this fight."

Yu made some hand signs and disappeared. Rei took out a kunai and got ready to attack. The crowd looked around the arena, trying to find the girl. Suddenly Rei sensed something. She turned around and saw some shuriken heading towards her and she noticed some of Yu's chakra thread attached to the shuriken. The shuriken twisted around her and trapped her to the tree behind her. Yu appeared and smirked.

"It seems that you're getting slow."

Rei frowned at her friend.

"You've been the strongest one. Everyone says that there's nothing you fear. Well, I guess I'll be the first to find out then. But before I do, I would like to relive some memories with you." She said as she smirked.

Yu made some hand signs and Rei felt dizzy. She shut her eyes and waited for it to be over.

Yu smirked as she closed her eyes and entered her friend's mind she concentrated on finding her worst fears and memories. Anything that would help her defeat Rei. Soon, images began flooding into her head. She looked around and saw that she was in a funeral. She was holding someone's hand. She looked up and saw a woman she recognized as Rei's mother. She looked back at where there was a picture of a man with short silver hair and blue eyes that were surprisingly familiar.

The memory was replaced by one of her standing in a laboratory of some kind. There were various containers with strange creatures around her. It was dark and cold and she heard a familiar voice next to her. She looked up and saw Orochimaru.

Then she was standing near a river and there were many bodies strewn around. There was blood staining the ground and trickling towards the river. She trembled in the pouring rain, but it wasn't just because she was cold. She looked at her hands and saw blood staining them. She ran to the river and saw Rei looking at her through a pair of emotionless eyes in a blood stained face.

As she looked into the river she was taken into more of her friend's memories. She found herself sitting next to Okoru.

"Rei, are you leaving."

"Yes."

"Will you come back?"

"I don't know…"

"Then don't leave."

"I have to. If I don't you and Zakyo and Yu will be in danger."

"We'll be fine."

"No, I have to go, to keep you guys safe. I don't want you to get hurt. Even if I have to die, I'll keep you guys safe."

Okoru's face faded and she was running trough a hallway. Some shinobi appeared in front of her and she dodged the kunai that they threw. Once she was close enough she slit the throat of the one closest to her and ducked as the other tried to hit her. She swung her leg and hit the man's legs making him fall. She stabbed him and kept running. Once she was outside she found herself surrounded. She took out two windmill shuriken and ran towards the men. She moved quickly and killed smoothly. She could feel the blood hitting her face and once she was done she put away the weapons and continued running.

She then found herself in a sort of training room. She was standing in front of a blonde woman with a kunai in her hand. The woman was dead and as she looked closely at her she saw it was Rei's mother.

The memory faded and she found herself lying on the ground in a forest. She was panting heavily and her hand was lying in front of her face. She could see more bloodstained bandages on them. She heard someone approaching her and saw some shinobi wearing vests from Konoha appear.

Yu felt her head beginning to hurt and held her hands to it's sides. She opened her eyes and saw Rei looking at her calmly. Yu growled.

"Why are you so calm? Why aren't you affected by this?"

"Because they're my memories."

Yu looked at her and stood up.

"I am the one that lived through them and I am the one that thinks about them everyday. I never forgot about the people I killed while I was with that snake bastard and I never forgot about my parents and about how hard it was to leave you guys. Those memories, they aren't just memories to me."

"But why do they affect me!?!"

"Because you never killed the way I did. Even if you have killed someone, it was never like what I did. Those memories, although they weren't your own, affected you because of the way in which you say them. The flaw in your technique is putting yourself in the place of your enemy. That's why I told you not to use that technique."

Rei looked down at the threads holding her against the tree and saw that they were weakening.

"I see that you are almost at your limit. That attack must have taken a lot out of you."

"Shut up." Yu said as she composed herself.

Rei stepped forward as the threads disappeared.

"Let's finish this." Yu said as she smirked.

Rei nodded and they got ready to fight. Rei charged at Yu and jumped in the air before she got to where she was. She made some hand signs.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

Yu dodged the fire and looked back at where Rei was, but she was gone. She turned around and was hit with a strong current of wind. She was thrown back a bit, but remained standing. She felt the cold metal of a kunai pressed on her neck. She smirked as she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"A clone?" Rei said surprised.

"Yep, and you fell for it." Yu said.

Rei tried to turn around, but found herself stuck to the ground. She looked down and saw some kunai stuck to the ground with threads on them. The threads had tangled themselves on her legs. She recognized the kunai as the ones Yu had thrown earlier and cursed her carelessness.

"Well, I guess it's time to see if the headache from before was worth it."

She made some hand signs and Rei felt strange. Everything began to grow dark and soon she couldn't see anything. She felt as if she was falling. She opened her eyes and found herself standing on her own in the midst of darkness.

_"Where am I?"_She thought.

"You are in the darkness you belong in."

Rei turned around at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Sasuke?"

She was surprised to see him there.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to make sure you stay here."

"What do you mean? We have to get out of here. Where are we anyways?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"No, you have to stay here on your own. This is where you belong. You've caused us nothing but trouble since you arrived. It would be better if you just stayed here."

Rei was puzzled by this. She frowned and realized it was an illusion. She put her hands together to form a sign.

"Release!"

She waited, but nothing happened.

"What kind of illusion is this?" She muttered.

She looked around, but there was no one around apart from Sasuke.

"This isn't an illusion, this is real."

"Shut up, you're not real." She said sternly.

Sasuke chuckled and walked towards her.

"Just give up, this is where you belong. After all, no one really needs you back in Konoha, you were just a burden to our village. The only person that actually wants you is Orochimaru and he only wants your power. Even your friends have given up on you."

"That's not true, they haven't given up on me, they never did. They're my friends."

"Then why did you leave us?"

Rei turned around and saw Okoru standing there.

"I did it to help you. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Stop lying, you were just running away."

Rei frowned.

"Why the hell am I talking to an illusion?" She mumbled as she turned to walk away.

"Because I'm not an illusion and you know it."

She stopped.

"Even if I'm not real what I'm saying is true. This is what your friends are really wondering. Why did you leave? Why did you run away?"

"Shut up." She growled.

"Why couldn't you just stay with us? Why did you have to pretend to be so strong?"

Rei took out a kunai and turned around.

"Shut up, you're nothing but an illusion." She said as she sunk the kunai in.

She felt her friend tense and the shadows around her weakened. Everything began to dissolve and she closed her eyes as she felt dizzy. When she opened her eyes she was back in the arena, but she found herself holding a kunai to someone's body. She felt the blood trickling down her hand and looked up at her friend's surprised expression. She let go of the weapon and caught her friend as she fell.

"Yu!"

She flinched, but smirked.

"I guess…you won…"

Rei looked at her friend with concern.

"Don't worry…I'll be fine…" Yu said.

Rei smiled as the medics arrived. She sighed and looked up at Zakyo. She hoped that she would be able to beat Zakyo, but apart from that, she hoped she wouldn't have to hurt her friend. She knew that she couldn't let herself get carried away like she had been with Yu.

"The next battle is between Rei Hatori and Zakyo Zetsunen." The proctor announced.

Rei sighed as Zakyo arrived at the arena.

"Are you ready, Rei-san?" Zakyo said cheerfully.

Rei nodded and they both got ready to fight.

_**End Chapter Forty-Six**_

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**Hope you guys liked this chapter and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	47. Chapter 47

**Hello people sorry for not updating in a while, but I've been a bit busy with some school work. Anyways, thanks to**** ruler of dragons, ****ForeverInTheMoment, ****Uchiha**** Sasha, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, ****Hibiki-chan****, japcherryblossom14, and Lyris88 ****for reading and reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely and clumsy ****Rei****, the dashing, but cowardly ****Okoru****, the childishly charming ****Zakyo****, and the arrogant yet loyal Yu.**

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**Chapter Forty-Seven**

"The next fight is between Rei Hatori and Zakyo Zatsunen."

Zakyo arrived at the arena and smiled at Rei. Rei frowned slightly before smiling back.

"Are you ready, Zakyo-chan?"

Zakyo nodded.

"Yep, just don't hold back, Rei-san."

"I won't."

The proctor announced the start of the fight and Rei took out a kunai just as Zakyo disappeared. Rei looked around to see where she had gone, but couldn't find her. Suddenly, she sensed someone close by and jumped away just as a large amount of water splashed down on the spot she had been standing on. She looked around and found Zakyo standing a few feet away.

"Well, you've gotten stronger, Zakyo-chan."

"Yep, I've been training hard ever since you left and Okoru-baka even taught me a few tricks."

"Hmm, I have a feeling I won't be particularly amused by these tricks."

Zakyo just grinned in response. She ran towards Rei who made some quick hand signs.

"Earth Style: Earth snakes!"

Two snakes formed from the ground surrounding Rei and headed towards Zakyo. She tried to dodge them, but they were too quick and managed to catch her. They wound themselves aroung her and Rei frowned slightly before tightening the snakes' hold on Zakyo. She wasn't surprised to see that the Zakyo she had caught was a clone.

"You know, you should have seen that one coming, Rei-san."

Rei sighed and smirked.

"Yeah, but I figured you wouldn't come out until I got rid of your clone."

Suddenly Zakyo jumped away as several shuriken stuck to where she had been standing. She looked at Rei and realized that she was also a clone as there was now a cloud of smoke where she had been standing. She turned around and saw Rei who punched her sending her back down. Zakyo hit the ground and rolled away as she saw Rei heading towards her. She punched the ground where Zakyo had been laying and crated a rather large crack. Zakyo stood up and threw some kunai at Rei who dodged them as she ran towards her opponent. She tried to hit Zakyo, but she blocked Rei's attacks. Rei drew back as Zakyo took out a kunai. Zakyo then made some hand signs and some water began gathering around her. Rei watched as the amount of water increased and recognized it as Okoru's technique.

"Now, I'll show you what I've been working on, Rei-san."

"Oh, great, I'm dying to see it." Rei said sarcastically.

* * *

As Rei and Zakyo stood there two more people joined the crowd watching the fight. Sasuke watched the fight and smirked. He had to admit, it was quite interesting. He could tell that Rei had gotten faster while he was gone.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the arena, Zakyo made some more hand signs and Rei frowned as she got ready to defend herself. She recognized the technique that Zakyo was using and wondered why she had chosen to use it as it had failed before. 

"Water Style: Hundred Snakes!"

The water around Zakyo took the shape of several snakes and Rei frowned. She was glad she had worked on improving her speed. Still, she wondered why she was using that attack. She knew Okoru wouldn't have wasted his time teaching her a technique that had failed before. There had to be something different with it.

"Get ready, Rei-san." Zakyo said cheerfully.

* * *

Sasuke watched Zakyo's technique curiously. 

"What kind of technique is that?" He muttered.

"It's the same technique that was used against Rei in the preliminary rounds." Kakashi said.

"But why would they use it again if it didn't work before?'

"Maybe it's not the same."

Sasuke frowned and looked back at the fight.

* * *

Rei dodged the snakes as they tried to hit her. She jumped away as a snake came close to catching her. She ran up the wall of the arena and made some hand signs. 

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

She got rid of a few snakes and then ran along the wall as more went after her. She jumped off the wall and threw some kunai before landing back on the ground and hitting some more snakes. She jumped away, but a snake appeared behind her. She raised her arms to block the attack, but the snake bit her. She flinched, but noticed that the bite of the snake didn't have the same crushing force as the ones Okoru used. She got rid of the snake and got away from the others. She made some hand signs before the snakes got too close.

"Wind Style: Wind Barrier!"

The wind began to spin around her, preventing the snakes from attacking. She looked at her injury and say that it looked like an ordinary snake bite. She frowned and looked back up at Zakyo.

"You should give up. Rei-san. You've already lost."

"What do you mean?" Rei said in a calm voice.

"I added a little surprise to the attack."

"And what may I ask is this surprise?" Rei sighed.

Zakyo smirked as she heard the frustration in her friend's voice.

"Well, when Okoru-baka was helping me train he realized that I couldn't give the snake bite the same strength his had so he came up with another way to make my attack as deadly as his."

Rei frowned. She didn't like the way things sounded. She knew Okoru, and she knew that he was good at analyzing and improving his attacks. He would always find a way to make his attacks stronger and that was why he was such a formidable opponent. If he had helped Zakyo then she was sure the new addition to the already dangerous attack would be very bad for her.

"And what is it that makes this attack so dangerous?"

"The poison in the snakes' bite. Even a small scratch can be fatal if it is left alone for too long."

Rei frowned, but then grinned.

"I guess you really have gotten stronger. I should probably take you more seriously now."

* * *

Sasuke watched as Rei let the wall of wind around her disperse. He frowned as he watched the fight go on as Rei dodged the snakes while getting rid of some. He hoped the fight would end soon as she needed to have her injury looked at before the poison took effect. He wondered how long she had before it was too late.

* * *

Rei continued dodging and slashing at the snakes, but her arm was beginning to throb with pain. She flinched as the pain began to spread farther along her body. She stumbled, but regained her composure and jumped away as a sanke lunged itself at her, but it managed to scratch her leg. She flinched and cursed as her leg began to hurt. Her limbs felt heavy and her vision was getting blurry.

* * *

Sasuke frowned as he watched Rei struggle to dodge the attacks. She missed badly as she threw some kunai and he could tell that she was getting slower. He wondered how long she would be able to keep fighting. He just hoped she wouldn't be too careless and fight for too long, but he knew she wouldn't give up, she was just too stubborn. 

He had the urge to help her as he watched her fighting, but he knew she would kill him if he did. Even as he watched her struggle, he knew she would be fine, she was strong, and she wouldn't give up until she won the fight. He just hoped she wouldn't do anything reckless.

* * *

Rei moved as fast as she could and had managed to get rid on most of the snakes, but with less snakes to control, it was easier for Zakyo to use them so their movements were faster and more precise. Rei, on the other hand was getting slow and clumsy as the poison spread. 

She managed to get away from the snakes and sighed as she knew what she had to do. She knew it would take a lot of chakra, but she would be able to get some of it back before she had to fight again, or so she hoped. She knew she couldn't afford to lose, if she did Sasuke would make sure to remind her and so would Okoru. She grinned as she thought of those two and of how much fun they would have if she lost. She sighed and flinched slightly as she raised her arms and made some hand signs.

"Wind Style: Raging Whirlwind!"

The wind surrounding Zakyo and the snakes began to spin quickly, trapping them. Rei made some more hand signs.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

The fire combined with the wind and surrounded Zakyo and the snakes.

* * *

The crowd looked at the attack in surprise as most people there didn't expect a Genin to be able to use such strong attacks. Sasuke looked at the fight and smirked. The attack was sure to have finished the fight. He was anxious to talk to Rei. Even though he wouldn't admit it even if he was tortured by an entire ANBU squad he had missed her. He wasn't the only one that wanted the fight to end. 

Okoru was watching the match closely and wondered if Zakyo would be taken down by Rei's attack. He watched as the fire began to die down and hoped that his cousin was fine.

* * *

Rei watched as the flames subsided. She frowned and put her arms up in defense as Zakyo emerged, ready to attack. Rei was thrown back, but she stood up and continued to block Zakyo's attacks. She managed to land a few blows, but she was getting tired. She kicked Zakyo and sent her back a bit. She made some hand signs before Zakyo could stop her. 

"Wind Style Taijutsu!"

Zakyo frowned as Rei rushed towards her. She tried to dodge, but she knew it was of no use. She flinched as she received a few cuts from the chakra infused wind surrounding Rei's fists. Zakyo flinched as she received a particularly large cut on her arm. Rei saw this and took advantage of the situation by kicking her. Zakyo hit a tree and Rei made some more hand signs.

"Earth Style: Binding Vines!"

Some vines emerged from the ground around Zakyo and wound around her. She flinched as they tightened around her bod.

"Alright, you win! I give up!"

Rei smirked and released the girl. Zakyo sighed and leaned against the tree.

"The winner is Rei Hatori!" The proctor announced.

Rei grinned and looked around at the crowd as they cheered. She sighed and let herself fall to the ground. As she sat there she felt the pain from the poison spreading. She heard someone approaching her and looked up. Although her vision was blurred she recognized Sasuke as he kneeled before her. She grinned at him.

"Sasuke you jerk, you finally showed up."

"Shut up you idiot." He sighed.

Yu and Naruto appeared next to them. Okoru walked over to them dragging an injured Zakyo.

"Well, you look like crap." Okoru said calmly.

Rei grinned, but Sasuke scowled and glared at the redhead. Okoru noticed this and sighed. He handed Sasuke a small bottle.

"It's the antidote. She should be fine after drinking this."

Sasuke opened it and handed it to Rei who drank it quickly.

"Oh, God, you couldn't make it taste better? It's like I just ate some of your cooking." She complained.

"Just be glad Zakyo didn't forget to bring it." Okoru said annoyed.

Zakyo grinned at this.

"Well, I guess you really are strong, Rei-san."

Rei smirked.

"Yeah, well you're pretty strong too, Zakyo-chan."

"I hate to interrupt, but we should get out of here." Yu said.

Sasuke helped Rei up. She grinned at him.

"You better win you jerk."

Sasuke smirked.

"Of course I will, you brat. Just rest for now."

Rei stuck out her tongue and left with Naruto's help. Once they were back with the others she leaned against the railing and looked down at Sasuke. She frowned as she saw Gaara enter the arena. She had a bad feeling about the fight and she hoped that she was wrong.

_**End Chapter Forty-Seven**_

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**Hope you guys liked the chapter and sorry for taking so long to update. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	48. Chapter 48

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter and sorry for not updating in a while. I've just been busy lately since I'm a senior and I'm taking advanced classes. Oh well. Anyways, thanks to ****MistFairire93, ****ForeverInTheMoment****, jjaynno1, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, Lyris88, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, ruler of dragons, ****Mizu ****Hime, ****Tsukinoyo****, japcherryblossom14, and ****Hibiki-chan ****for reading and reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely and clumsy ****Rei****, the dashing, yet cowardly ****Okoru****, the childishly charming ****Zakyo****, and the arrogant, but loyal Yu.**

**

* * *

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**Chapter Forty-Eight**

Rei leaned against the railing and watched Sasuke as he stood before Gaara. She sighed and hoped he would be alright. From what he had heard about Gaara he was a formidable opponent to say the least. Although she hadn't shown it she had worried about Sasuke from the moment she heard about his opponent. She flinched slightly as she still felt the effects of the poison.

"You should lay down for a while."

Rei turned to the side and saw Okoru standing next to her. She grinned at him.

"I'll be fine, I already drank the antidote."

"Yeah, but you're still weak and tired. You should rest for your next match."

"Relax, I'll be fine." She said waving her hand in a dismissive manner.

Okoru just sighed and shook his head. He knew it was no use trying to persuade her. Once she set her mind on something nothing could make her alter her decision. She was just too stubborn. He smiled weakly at his friend as she watched the fight and wondered if that was one of the reasons he liked her so much. She turned around and looked at him strangely.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Nothing."

He turned around and looked back at the arena. He felt his cheeks getting warm and hoped she wouldn't notice, but of course she didn't. One of the things that both him and Sasuke were thankful for was of how utterly clueless she could be. He sometimes wondered how she had even become a shinobi.

Rei shrugged her shoulders and watched the fight below. She watched with interest as Sasuke dodged Gaara's quick sand attacks. She was surprised to see how much Sasuke's speed had increased, from what she heard from Naruto before he left to go see Kakashi and the others he was as fast as Lee. She looked on with interest as He ran up a wall and made some hand signs. She saw some chakra gathering in his hand and grinned. So that was what Kakashi had taught him. Still, she couldn't believe he had actually mastered the Chidori.

* * *

Sasuke smirked as the chakra gathered in his hand. He glanced up towards Rei and saw her grinning. His smirk widened as he saw this. Although he wanted to win the fight and become stronger, he also wanted her to feel proud of him and of how strong he had become. He ran towards Gaara who had now engulfed himself in a sand shell with an eye floating near him. He managed to pierce the shell and after a moment there was a loud scream coming from inside it.

* * *

From above, Rei watched as Sasuke struggled to get his arm out of the shell. As he succeeded a strange arm-like thing made of sand emerged. Although she didn't turn around, she noticed that the other two sand shinobi seemed nervous and surprised.

The sand around Gaara disappeared and they saw that he had been injured on his shoulder. When Gaara emerged, he seemed different and Rei sensed an increased bloodlust surrounding him. She frowned and watched as both boys stood in the arena facing each other. As she watched, a feather crossed in front of her, followed by many more. She began to feel drowsy and turned to Okoru, who was next to her.

"What is this?" She said before her eyes closed.

When she woke up Yu was standing above her along with Zakyo and Okoru. Okoru helped her up.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Someone cast an illusion. We fell for it too, but Yu dispelled it." Okoru said.

There was an explosion and everyone looked up to where the Hokage was sitting with the Kazekage. They watched as an ANBU squad went up to help and the Kazekage emerged from the smoke holding a kunai to the Hokage's throat. Rei watched as some shinobi from the sand village faced off against the ANBU and were taken down easily. She then remembered Sasuke and Gaara and looked down at the arena just as the sand nin left with Gaara.

* * *

Sasuke looked up at Rei after Gaara had left with the other sand ninja and saw the worry in her face. He frowned as he wanted to stay with her, but knew that he had other things to do. He knew that her friends would protect her. He sighed and turned to Genma, the proctor as he stood before him and told him to go after Gaara. Sasuke nodded and hurried after the shinobi.

* * *

Rei watched as Sasuke left and frowned. She felt somewhat irritated at his wreckless behavior. She turned to the others.

"You guys should stay here. I'll be back soon."

"And where are you going?" Okoru asked.

"I'm going after Sasuke. He can't take Gaara on by himself."

"And you think you can?"

She frowned and sent a slight glare at the boy.

"I'll be fine."

Okoru sighed.

"Have you even thought about who it is that took the Hokage hostage?"

Rei looked at him for a moment and then looked back up at where the Hokage was. She was surprised at the chill that ran down her spine when she looked at the man holding the Third hostage.

"It can't be..."

"It is, Orochimaru is the one behind this."

Rei frowned and turned to her friend.

"Then what am I supposed to do? Do you think we should just stay here and hide while the village is destroyed?" She said calmly.

Okoru noticed the anger in her eyes and sighed.

"No, but I don't think that you should go after Sasuke by yourself. If Orochimaru is behind this you're in danger of getting captured. We don't know how many enemies are out there."

"Hey, look, Rei-chan." Zakyo said pointing at the stands.

Rei turned around and saw her teammates leaving through a hole in the wall along with Shikamaru and a dog. Kakashi and Gai could also be seen fighting against both Sound and Sand shinobi.

"They probably went after Sasuke as a team." Yu said.

"They should be enough help."

Rei sighed and as she stood there she noticed how weak and tired she felt from the previous fights. She knew her friends were right. As much as she wanted to help Sasuke she knew she was in no condition to face Gaara. Apart from that if she followed Naruto and the others she would just draw more attention to them. Still, she knew she couldn't just stay there and do nothing. She turned to her friends and grinned.

"Alright then, if you guys won't let me go after Sasuke then I'll at least help Kakashi Sensei and the others around here."

Okoru sighed and shook his head.

"Fine, but we'll help."

Rei grinned.

"Alright, Zakyo, Yu, can you guys fight?"

They nodded.

"Alright then, we'll split up into two teams. Okoru, go with Zakyo. I'll go with Yu."

They nodded and headed to the stands where the Jounin were fighting. Rei took out some kunai and as soon as they stepped out into the stands she threw them at some Sand nin that attacked them. She hit on eon his arm, but the others dodged.

"Okoru, I'll hold them back. You and Zakyo go to Kakashi and tell him we're here to help."

He nodded and left with Zakyo. The shinobi tried to follows them, but Rei stopped them.

"Earth Style: Earth Spikes!"

The spikes shot out of the earth and stopped the opposing shinobi. She ran towards them and jumped. She twisted in the air and kicked two of the men. She threw some kunai to hold them down. Yu snuck up behind the remaining shinobi and kicked him. Rei held him down with some kunai as well. She turned to Yu.

"It's your turn."

Yu smirked and made some hand signs. Rei watched as her friend cast an illusion on their opponents. She knew that it would leave them unconscious for a while. She really didn't want to kill them, at least not with the others around. She glanced towards the Hokage and Orochimaru and saw that there was some kind of barrier around them. Still, she could sense a battle going on. Suddenly, she jumped back and made some hand signs.

"Fire Style: great Fireball!"

Yu dropped her illusion on the shinobi and went to help Rei. She took out some shuriken and threw them at the men. Rei dodged a blow as the only shinobi that hadn't been hit rushed out of the smoke towards her. She grabbed the man's arm and pulled him towards her as she took out a kunai and sunk it into the ninja. She let him fall to the ground and landed next to Yu. She flinched slightly and Yu noticed.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I guess the previous fights really took a toll on me."

"Let's go with the others."

She helped Rei stand up and they went over to where the others were. Okoru and Zakyo hurried towards them. Kakashi followed closely.

"Kakashi Sensei, are there anymore enemies around?"

"Well, there aren't anymore in the arena, but I'm sure there are more outside in the town."

"Then, shouldn't we go help?"

Kakashi looked at Rei and then sighed.

"I have to stay here with the others in case we are needed, but you four have shown that you are capable of handling things. Rei, although you are still young I know how strong you are, so I want you to help as much as you can. The battle should be starting outside in the village."

"Alright, we'll take care of it."

Rei turned to leave, but Kakashi stopped her.

"Just make sure that you stay in the village. I don't want you to go after Sasuke and if you run into any trouble get to a safe place."

"Alright then, we'll go into town and take care of things."

They left and as they headed outside Rei turned to the others.

"Well, you guys know how we do things. Take out as many Sound and Sand shinobi we can. This will be dangerous so if you guys think you can't fight to the best of your abilities, you should just stay here."

"Yeah right, like I would let a brat like you go out there all alone." Okoru said.

"I can still fight. I wanna show Okoru-baka how strong I am!" Zakyo said.

"Hn, like I can let you morons go out there and without me." Yu said with a smirk.

Rei grinned.

"Alright then, you know how we do things hide and wait until Okoru and I are done accessing the area. Then split up and regroup later. Make sure to stay close enough so that we can at least sense each other's chakra."

They nodded.

"Then let's go."

Rei and Okoru led Zakyo and Yu outside of the arena. They ran into a group of Sand shinobi and Rei and Okoru took out some kunai. Rei threw some at the shinobi who dodged them easily. However, there was some thread attached to the kunai and it wound up around the shinobi. Two escaped, but Okoru stopped them before they got to Rei and took them out with his kunai. Rei tightened the string around the shinobi's throats until they stopped moving. They kept moving and soon they were outside. They hid among some trees and Okoru turned to Rei.

"We should check things out before separating." He said.

"No, there's no time. The battle already started."

"Fine, but we should stay close."

"Yeah, you're right. Alright guys, Okoru and I will go first and take out the nearest opponents, then you two will follow. Stay as close as you can and stay hidden."

They nodded and Rei left with Okoru. They hid behind some buildings and took out some kunai. Rei looked around and saw some sand shinobi nearby. She signaled to Okoru and he nodded. She took out some kunai and thread and threw them. They surrounded the shinobi who were alarmed by the sudden attack. Rei smirked and pulled on the string, tightening it around the men. Okoru made some hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Snakes." He muttered.

The snakes moved quickly towards the enemies and took them out just as quickly. He made sure to finish them with one blow. Rei frowned slightly and wondered when her friend had become so indifferent to killing. She sighed and loosened her hold on the string. As she did this she felt the dead weight on the other end drag the threads down. She looked at Okoru and he looked away just as Yu and Zakyo arrived.

"Well, it appears these guys aren't too hard to take care of, our main concern should be the possibility of getting ambushed." Rei said.

"Yeah, but there aren't too many enemies around here. The main battle must be closer to the center of the village." Okoru added.

"So, what should we do?" Zakyo asked.

Rei grinned.

"We're going to see if we can help the guys take care of our little problem."

The others smirked.

"Well, stay on guard and stay quiet. Take them out as quickly as you can. The last thing we want is for one of them to get away and alert the others."

"Yeah, yeah, we know." Okoru said.

Rei smirked.

"Then let's go."

They left to go to the battle going on without thinking of the danger they were about to face. Rei just hoped that nothing would happen to her friends. She knew if her friends were in danger she would risk her life to save them. Still, she couldn't help but worry about Sasuke, even though she knew that the others were with him. She hoped he was alright. She just wanted everything to end so that she could see her friends again and so that she could see Sasuke again.

As they traveled she tried to ignore the fact that she didn't fell too well. She frowned slightly and wished in vain that Zakyo hadn't used that damn poison. She sighed as she knew she couldn't blame her, she was only fighting to the best of her abilities. She was also aware of how much her chakra had diminished and wondered how long she would be able to keep fighting. She guessed she would just have to stick to taijutsu and other techniques that didn't consume too much chakra. At least she wasn't fighting on her own.

_**End Chapter Forty-Eight**_

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**Hope you guys liked this chapter and please tell me if you see any errors, I didn't have a chance to edit it as I typed it fast and late at night. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	49. Chapter 49

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to**** lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, ruler of dragons, ****Valinor's**** Twilight, japcherryblossom14, Lyris88, ****Mizu****Hime, ****ForeverInTheMoment****, and ****Hi****biki-chan ****for reading and reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely and accident prone ****Rei****, the completely whipped ****Okoru****, the ADD challenged ****Zakyo****, and the arrogant and cocky Yu.**

**NOTE: Since the next chapter is chapter fifty I thought I would give one of the readers a chance to edit the chapter and trust me it will be good and very long so I will probably post it late which means if you edit it you get to read it first. All you have to do is translate the names of ****Okoru, ****Zakyo****, and Yu, take into account that two of them have last names. Just Pm me or tell me in your review. The first one to get it will get to edit. Good luck!**

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**Chapter Forty-Nine**

As Rei and the others got closer to where most of the fighting was Rei turned to the others and signaled for them to split up. They kept moving, but stayed hidden so that they could ambush the enemy. As Rei jumped from building to building she stopped and hid behind a building by using chakra to hang on to the side. She listened closely and heard footsteps nearby.

"What is it?" She heard someone say.

"I thought I heard something."

She moved towards the edge of the building and jumped into a tree. She hid in it and watched as two shinobi from the sound village stood on the roof of the building. She took out two kunai and threw them piercing the men's necks. She frowned and moved on, but before long she ran into more enemies. She wasn't able to hide and so she got ready to fight. She moved quickly towards them dodging the shuriken that were thrown at her. She made some hand signs.

"Shadow clone jutsu!"

Two copies of her appeared by her and attacked the men while they were distracted she made some more hand signs.

"Fire style: Great Fireball!"

The men had no time to escape her attack. She moved on and encountered more enemies. She blocked a surprise attack from a sand shinobi and kicked him away. She turned and slashed at another enemy. However, it was a clone. She turned around and moved to the side as the real body tried to hit her with a kunai. She flinched as the kunai hit her upper arm. She looked up and saw the shinobi heading towards her. She took out the kunai in her arm and threw it at the man, who dodged it. She jumped back and dodged the man's attacks. She grabbed his arm and threw him a few feet back. She threw some kunai at him and hit him.

She left, but heard a battle nearby and then heard someone yell. It sounded like Zakyo. She hurried towards the source of the sound and frowned as she saw Zakyo slumped against a wall. She could see some blood on the girl's clothes. She growled and ran towards the Otonin who had injured her friend.

"Look, another brat." One of them said.

They threw some shuriken at her, but she dodged them. She saw a windmill shuriken stuck on the wall and moved towards it. She took it and stopped. She used it to block some kunai and shuriken that were thrown at her. She stood up and glared at the men.

"You really shouldn't have hurt my friend." She growled.

She moved towards them as quickly as she could. The men weren't able to see her and she appeared behind then. She slashed at the men with the shuriken and got rid of them quickly. When she was done she hurried over to her friend. She kneeled next to her and examined her wound. She had a large gash on her side. Rei frowned and began to treat it.

"Rei-san…?"

"Be quiet Zakyo, you're hurt."

"Sorry, I guess I was still a bit tired from our fight."

"It's alright."

Zakyo sighed and closed her eyes as Rei worked. Rei sensed someone nearby and took out some shuriken. She turned around and threw them.

"Whoa, calm down, it's just me." Okoru said as he dodged the weapons.

"Sorry, I'm just a bit strung up."

Okoru froze when he saw his cousin he hurried towards the girls.

"What happened?" He asked.

Rei noticed that the color had left his face.

"She'll be fine, but we have to get her out of here. Where's Yu?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her."

"You called?"

They turned around and saw Yu standing there.

"Yu, I need you to take Zakyo away. Take her back to my house, it's not too far from here. Okoru, you should go too."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine."

Okoru thought about it and shook his head.

"No, I'll stay with you. You'll need some backup. Yu, take Zakyo back to Rei's house. We'll meet you there later."

Yu nodded and picked up Zakyo. She left and Okoru turned to Rei.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm alright, but we should leave, someone could attack us if we stay here for too long."

Okoru nodded. They left and he glanced at Rei. He noticed that she was sweating and looked tired. He wondered how long she would be able to keep fighting. He knew the previous fights against Yu and Zakyo had been tough on her.

"Okoru, look out!"

He looked to the side and saw some Otonin. One of them was close enough to attack and he didn't have time to dodge. He was suddenly pushed to the side, but not before he received a bad cut on his side. He looked up and saw Rei holding back the man with a kunai. She pushed the man back and turned to Okoru.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He said as he stood up.

Rei looked back at the men and made some hand signs.

"Wind Style: Wind Scythe!"

The wind mixed with her chakra and advanced towards the men. Two of them were taken down by the attack, but there were still three more left. Okoru stood next to Rei and noticed that she was panting heavily. He wasn't feeling too well either. The men smirked and advanced towards them. Rei frowned and rushed towards them. She tried to punch them, but they were fast and dodged her attacks. Okoru went up against a shinobi that had tried to hit Rei while her back was turned. He tried to kick the man, but he grabbed his leg and threw him back into the wall. Okoru looked up and moved to the side as some shuriken headed towards him. He stood up, but the man was already next to him. He kicked him back and the boy felt the pain from his injury increase.

Rei struggled against the men as they were fast and she was tired. She punched one of the men and turned to the other. She blocked his attacks with a kunai and kicked him. She looked over at Okoru and frowned. She made some hand signs.

"Earth Style: Earth Spikes!"

The Otonin fighting Okoru backed away and Okoru stood up. He looked over at Rei. As he looked towards his friend he saw one of the Otonin she had been fighting against stand up. He was frozen for a minute, but Rei saw him staring at something and turned around. The man was already too close to her. She put her arms up as the man kicked her. She was slammed into one of the spikes she had created. She looked up and put her arms up again as more shuriken headed her way. She flinched as they sunk into her flesh. Okoru rushed in front of her while making some hand signs.

"Water Style: Water snakes!"

The water formed around him and then went after the tow remaining men. Then wound around them and Okoru changed his hand sign.

"Snake Bite."

In a moment the two men were dead. He turned to his friend and frowned. She was removing the shuriken that were stuck to her. She looked up at him and grinned.

"Are you alright, Okoru-baka?"

"Yeah, sorry, I should have been more careful." He said frowning.

"No, it's alright."

She stood up slowly and flinched. Okoru frowned and helped her.

"We should go back to where the others are. You can't keep fighting like this."

"No, I'm alright."

Okoru was about to protest when there was a loud sound in the distance. They looked towards the forest and saw a large…thing moving around. Rei frowned as it was in the direction Sasuke had went off to. Okoru knew what she was thinking and looked at his friend.

"Rei, we have to go, the other shinobi will take care of the rest. We've done enough."

Rei frowned and watched as the new enemy moved around. Suddenly there was a cloud of smoke and a large toad appeared.

"What the hell is going on?" Okoru mumbled.

Rei glanced at Okoru and saw that he was distracted. She took the chance and left. She ran towards the forest, ignoring her friend's calls.

Okoru watched as Rei left and knew he couldn't stop her. He sighed and headed towards Rei's home to check on his friends. He just hoped Rei would be fine.

* * *

Rei ran as fast as she could and as she approached the battle she began to feel tired and weak. She stopped for a moment to rest and saw that she was bleeding from various cuts. She frowned and reached into her shuriken pouch. She took out some bandages and covered her wounds. She had various cuts in her arms and legs and three large cuts in her sides. She sighed and once she was done she left. Soon she could feel the tremors from the battle among the giants ahead. She hurried and stopped suddenly when she saw a spot of black to the side. She turned towards it and grinned when she saw who it was.

"Rei? What are you doing here?" Sasuke said.

Rei went over to where he was and saw that the curse mark had spread. She frowned.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, but why are you here? You should have stayed where you were you idiot, it's dangerous here."

Rei ignored him and looked towards the battle. She saw a giant leopard thing made of sand and on top of it she could see Gaara. She then looked towards the toad and saw Naruto on its head. She was surprised to see her friend using such an advanced jutsu. She knew Summonings were very difficult and took a lot of chakra. She turned to Sasuke and kneeled next to him.

"Sasuke, what happened?"

Sasuke didn't respond. Instead he looked at the girl in front of him and frowned as he saw her injuries. He felt like it was his fault that she had gotten hurt.

"I don't know. Gaara was too strong, I couldn't defeat him because of the curse mark."

Rei frowned and looked back at the fight.

"Well, I guess it's up to Naruto now."

They watched as the fight progressed. Apparently the toad wasn't able to get a hold of the sand demon. Suddenly the toad transformed into a very familiar being.

"The kyuubi?" Rei said in surprise.

Sasuke just looked on as the now transformed toad got a hold of Shukaku. Naruto then jumped off as the toad transformed back. She watched as Naruto struggled against the sand and tried to get closer to Gaara.

"Sasuke, stay here I'll be back in a minute."

Sasuke looked at Rei and grabbed her arm.

"No, leave this to Naruto. He might be a loser, but I think he can win this. Besides, you're hurt."

Rei sighed and looked back up at the fight. Sasuke was right, although she hated to admit it, Naruto would be able to win, she knew it. As she thought about this Naruto managed to get free of the sand that was holding him down and got close enough to Gaara to head butt him. Shukaku disintegrated and turned back into sand. Rei grinned and headed towards Naruto to help him and Sasuke followed closely. They passed Sakura who had been freed from the sand binding her to a tree when and Sasuke caught her before she could fall and left her on a tree branch with Kakashi's dog. They reached Naruto who was laying on the ground before Gaara and Sasuke approached him.

"You can stop now Naruto… Sakura's safe. Gaara used up all his chakra the sand around Sakura is gone."

"…oh good…"

Rei smiled at the boy. She then sensed someone approaching. She knew Sasuke had sensed them as well from the look on his face. A moment later the other sand shinobi showed up next to Gaara.

"It's alright…I quit." Gaara said suddenly.

Everyone was surprised to hear this, even his comrades. They picked Gaara up and left. Rei sighed and let herself fall to the ground. She sat there for a moment and looked at Naruto who was asleep. She smiled and looked up at Sasuke.

"I guess he really is strong."

_**End Chapter Forty-Nine**_

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* * *

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**Hope you guys liked this chapter. I'm not too fond of it since it was mostly action, but oh well. ****Anyways, please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	50. Chapter 50

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter because I worked hard on it. I wanted to make it especially long since it's the fiftieth chapter. YAY!!! I want to thank you guys for reading and reviewing. This story is for you guys and without your support I wouldn't have made it this far into the story. Thanks to lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, ruler of dragons, Valinor's Twilight, Hibiki-chan, ForeverInTheMoment, and marimo head's lover for reading and reviewing. Please keep reviewing so that I can keep writing. Also, Happy New Year even thought it's a bit late for that. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely and clumsy Rei, the cowardly and dashing Okoru, the charmingly annoying Zakyo, and the arrogant yet loyal Yu.**

**Special thanks to ruler of dragons for editing this chapter and helping me chose which version to use.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty**

The Hokage was dead. Those were by far the most troubling news Rei had learned after the attack on the village had ended. The fact that Orochimaru had escaped and that the village was now is shambles were nothing compared to the news that their leader was now gone. Although she had never thought about it the Hokage had always provided her and the other inhabitants of Konoha with some comfort, but now he was gone.

The funeral had been attended by everyone and everyone had the same look of sadness in their eyes. They weren't just mourning their leader, but also the brave shinobi that had perished while driving away the enemy. As Rei stood beside Sasuke she thought of how lucky she had been. Although Zakyo had been injured she was alive and so were her other friends. Many had not been so lucky. Still, she knew she wouldn't always be so lucky. Years ago she had learned that death was inevitable in the shinobi way of life.

She sighed and looked up at the falling rain. Sasuke turned to her and frowned slightly. Ever since the attack in Konoha she had been acting strangely and he didn't blame her, but it was strange to see her being so serious. In truth, he missed having her annoy him. He looked back towards the front and tried to ignore her. He just hoped she would be back to normal soon.

* * *

Rei groaned as she got up from the floor. She had, once again, fallen off of her bed. She heard footsteps outside which stopped at her door.

"Rei get up, you're helping around town today, remember?" Okoru called out.

Rei sighed and rubbed the back of her head as she stood up.

"I'm up already." She growled at her friend.

She heard someone sigh on the other side.

"Just try to be out soon, your breakfast will get cold."

She heard him leave and headed to the restroom.

* * *

Okoru sighed as he sat at the kitchen table across from Yu.

"What's wrong?" She asked calmly.

"Nothing, I guess I'm just tired."

"You should be after all that's happened."

"Yeah, how's Zakyo?"

"She's fine, just sleeping. You know how lazy she is." She said as she sipped her tea.

"Yeah, guess it runs in the family." He said calmly.

Yu looked at him for a moment.

"So, when are you planning on leaving this place?"

Okoru glanced at her and frowned.

"I don't know, but we can't leave now. We should stay here and help a bit around town. Rei will probably need help as well. She hasn't been feeling too well lately."

Yu shook her head.

"No, we can't stay. We have to go back. I know Rei isn't feeling too well, but she has her friends and the Uchiha boy."

"Tch, how can you think of just leaving her now? She's our friend. And like I said, we should probably help out around the village. They are low on shinobi and they could use the help."

"Whatever happens to the place is none of our concern. Our mission was to come here to participate in the exams. We're done with that."

"Stop being so stubborn and think of others for once." Okoru said glaring at Yu.

Yu glared back at him.

"I should say the same to you."

He looked at her confused, but she kept glaring.

"Don't think I haven't noticed the real reason for your sudden compassion towards this place. I won't say anything but just think of what you're doing and who you could end up hurting."

Yu stood up and left Okoru alone at the table. He sighed and let his head fall on the table. He stayed like that for a few minutes.

"Are you alright?"

He looked up and saw Rei standing before him. He sat up quickly making her grin.

"Yeah, I'm fine just tired."

"Well try to get some rest then. I gotta go now, but I'll be back before dinner. Take care of Zakyo or I will pummel you." She said shaking her fist.

Okoru sweatdropped and laughed nervously.

"Well actually, I was thinking of going with you and helping a bit around town."

"Well this is a first. Okoru the king of the lazy volunteering to work? Never thought I'd see the day. You better be careful or you'll lose your crown to Zakyo." Rei said smirking.

"You know if you don't want my help you can just say it there's no need to insult me you brat."

Rei laughed.

"You can come if you want, but what about Zakyo?"

"Yu can take care of her besides she'll probably sleep through the day."

Rei grinned at her friend.

"Alright then, let's go!"

* * *

In another part of Konoha Sasuke frowned and proceeded to glare at anyone who glanced at him. He was currently standing by the ramen shop, waiting for a certain blond to arrive. He wasn't surprised to see that she was late, but it was still irritating. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, at least this meant she was feeling better. He looked up as he heard someone approaching.

"Hiya Sasuke." Rei said cheerfully.

He looked at her and knew she was back to her old annoying self. Then he looked at the person next to her and frowned slightly. Rei noticed and grinned.

"Oh yeah, I brought Okoru-kun since he wanted to help out a bit. I hope you don't mind."

Sasuke gave her a look that clearly said 'yes I mind', but Rei just ignored him.

"Sasuke, stop being lazy and get a move on." She said as she started dragging Okoru away.

Sasuke sighed and grudgingly followed Rei. They stopped at the academy and Sasuke turned to Rei.

"What exactly are we doing here?" He asked.

"Oh well Iruka sensei asked if we would help fix up the academy."

Rei laughed nervously as she saw Sasuke's eyebrow twitching.

"Rei, we don't have time to waste here. We should be training. Haven't you learned anything from the attack?"

"Well, we have time to train later. I think we should help around the village first." She said stubbornly.

"We need to get stronger." Sasuke said sternly.

"No, we need to work together and fix things up. And you need to stop being so arrogant and selfish." She said before walking away.

Sasuke growled and Okoru sighed.

"She's right you know the village really needs to be fixed up before anything else."

"I don't need advice from you." Sasuke said.

Okoru ignored him and went after Rei. He found her cleaning up some of the space around the building which had been littered by the battle.

"Need any help?" he asked.

Rei looked at him and grinned.

"Well that would be nice."

Okoru smiled and began helping her.

"What are you going to do about Uchiha?"

"Nothing, I'll just let that lazy jerk do whatever he wants. I don't really care." She said kicking a piece of wood.

Okoru sighed and shook his head.

"You know he just worries about you. He wants you to be ready if something like this happens again."

Rei sighed and sat down on the grass, leaning against the wall of the Academy.

"I know, but he doesn't have to be a jerk about it. Why can't he just tell me things instead of always fighting and making me do what he wants?"

"Well, from what I've seen, he's just not used to telling people how he feels."

"Yeah, I guess, but he's still a jerk."

"And you're still a violent little brat, but you don't see me complaining."

Rei smacked him lightly on the head and laughed.

"Well, at least you won't run away from a bit of work."

"I can't, you'll hit me." He complained.

Rei grinned and stood up.

"Well then, come on you lazy idiot, we have work to do!"

Okoru grinned and followed his friend. As he worked with her to fix things up he had to wonder why he had stood up for Sasuke. If anything, he should be glad she wasn't too happy with him. He sighed and decided that he had done the right thing. No matter what he felt he couldn't just try to get rid of the Uchiha. He knew that would make Rei sad and so he would just stand aside.

* * *

Sasuke panted as he let the chakra on his hand from the chidori disappear. He sat down and glared at the large boulder he had been using to train. He had to admit, he would much rather train with a certain clumsy blond ninja. He sighed and laid down on the grass.

"Stupid girl." He muttered.

Even as he said this he couldn't help but feel a bit of regret at having left her alone. Then he remembered that she wasn't alone, she was with that insufferable redheaded moron. He frowned at the thought and had a sudden urge to go back. He felt his eye twitching and sighed.

"Damn it." He said as he stood up and left.

* * *

Rei grinned as she looked around the area she had been cleaning with Okoru. It was late already and the sun would go down soon. She turned to her friend who was laying on the grass. Her grin grew even wider at this as she recalled how she had made him do most of the work.

"Well, I guess we should head back home."

Okoru stood up and walked over to her.

"Yeah, it is getting kind of late and I still have to make dinner."

"What about Yu, can't she make it?"

Okoru ignored the fact that she didn't suggest she make it herself and answered.

"No, you know she's too lazy."

"Alright then, let's go."

* * *

Sasuke sighed as he walked to Rei's house. He had gone to the Academy, but she had already left and so he had decided to go to her home. He hated to admit it, but he had missed the annoying little brat. He hadn't seen her for a while and he missed being around her, even if she drove him to the edge of insanity on a regular basis. As he arrived at her home he scowled at what he saw.

* * *

Rei stepped outside after having dinner which, as always, was made by Okoru. She grinned as she thought of how easy it was to enslave her friend. She sat down on the edge of the wooden area surrounding the house. She looked out to the small pond in front of her and yawned.

"Well, don't you look lively."

Rei turned around to find the source of such a sarcastic comment and grinned once she had spotted it.

"And you look as happy as ever." She said smirking.

She could see Okoru's eye twitching as she looked at the various stains and bruises on him.

"What happened to you?"

"Shut up you idiot. You know how much Zakyo hates getting her bandages changed, but you had to make me do it."

"Well, she _is_ your cousin."

"Yeah I know." Okoru sighed.

He looked at his friend and she turned to him. She grinned and he just shook his head before looking out towards the pond. As he looked at the calm water reflecting the full moon above he thought back to his new feelings towards his friend. All previous doubt had vanished from his mind and he was now sure that he felt something towards the girl that had previously been like a younger sister to him.

He thought back to what Yu had told him that morning and wondered if his feelings could really be such a bad thing. He supposed it would be difficult for Rei to deal with this as long as Sasuke was around. He felt strangely annoyed when he thought about the young Uchiha. It irritated him to some extent to think of how he had declined to stay with her for the day so that he could train. He supposed it was because he hadn't seen Rei for such a long time so he just wanted to spend some time with her while he could.

"Okoru-kun, when are you and the others going back?"

He sighed and frowned slowly before adopting his usual deadpan expression that gave him such an aloof appearance.

"What, do you want us to leave that badly?"

"No, well, maybe a little…."

Okoru's eye twitched slightly and Rei grinned.

"Well, I don't really know. I suppose when Zakyo gets better we'll be able to leave."

"Oh, then I guess you'll leave soon, right?" Rei said with a cheerless voice.

"Maybe, but I was thinking that we could stay for a while to help out around here."

Rei looked at him and grinned before glomping her friend. The boy grinned and managed to get her off of him (as to how he did it was a secret he wasn't going to share any time soon). Rei smiled and was content with just hugging him as she sat next to him.

"Thanks for helping, but you don't have to stay you know."

"Yeah, I know, but the village really needs some help, and we haven't seen you for such a long time. Zakyo will probably be glad to stay."

"Yeah, but still, thanks."

Rei smiled and Okoru returned the smile. As he looked at her the feelings that had been shut inside of him for so long began to grow and he felt like he just wanted to hold her. He felt his cheeks growing hotter and was very aware of the rhythm of his heart. He suddenly noticed how close their faces were and focused on preventing himself from doing something stupid. However, his body wouldn't respond.

"Get away from her."

Rei and Okoru turned to see who had spoken and saw Sasuke walking towards them with a scowl. Rei sighed and stood up.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?"

"What is he doing here?" He asked, glaring at Okoru.

"He's staying here for a while with the others."

Sasuke looked at Rei and frowned.

"Why didn't you tell me he was staying here before?"

"I didn't think it mattered so much." She said frowning.

"Of course it matters you idiot. Why the hell would I trust him to stay here with you?"

"Sasuke stop, he's my friend. He can stay here as long as he wants."

Rei frowned and gave him a slight glare. Sasuke ignored her and looked at the redhead standing behind her. He glared at him and Rei walked over to him and glared back at Sasuke.

"Sasuke, why can't you just stop being so stupid? He hasn't done anything so just stop bothering him."

"You're the one being stupid. Why can't you see that he's trying to get closer to you?"

Rei frowned and pulled Sasuke away.

"That's not true, now leave him alone. Why can't you just trust me?"

Sasuke sighed as he looked at Rei.

"It's not you that I don't trust, it's him." He said glaring at the other boy.

Rei sighed as she stood in front of Sasuke.

"You're such a moron, I told you already that you're the only one I wan tot be with. He's my friend and I love him, but I would never leave you."

Sasuke looked at Rei and sighed. He smirked slightly.

"Alright, I guess I was just being paranoid."

"Like always." Rei said grinning.

"Shut up you brat."

Rei smirked and Sasuke just shook his head.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Try not to forget." He said as he walked away.

Rei sighed and turned to look at her friend, but he wasn't there anymore. She frowned and wondered if Sasuke was right. What if he wasn't just being a paranoid jerk like always? She sighed and went inside her home. She yawned as she walked to her room to sleep as she would need her rest if Sasuke kept being an idiot.

* * *

Okoru sighed as he sat outside. He heard someone approaching and turned to see Yu. She sat next to him.

"So, what happened?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

Yu scowled, but them smirked.

"Well, from your attitude, I would say it has something to do with a certain blonde."

"Shut it."

"You're no fun." Yu pouted.

Okoru didn't respond and she frowned. He heard her sigh.

"Well, you can't say I didn't warn you."

"I know."

He stood up and left. Yu just sat there thinking of how amusing things would get from now on.

* * *

Rei groaned as the light from the morning sun hit her face. She sighed before getting up and realizing that for the first time in months she hadn't woken up on the floor. She had to admit, it was starting to look like it would be a good day.

She was surprised to see that neither Yu nor Okoru were at the kitchen. She guessed Yu was still sleeping as was Zakyo. Okoru had probably gone out. She sighed and picked up an apple as she wasn't very hungry at that time. With that she left to meet Sasuke.

* * *

Sasuke sighed as he laid in the grass at the training grounds. Once again, Rei had managed to maintain her record of never being on time. It was amazing how she was always late and yet Sasuke still waited for her. He smirked as he saw Rei walking towards him.

"Hello Sasuke." She said happily.

Sasuke smirked and stood up.

"You're late again."

"Of course I am I always am." She said as if it was obvious, which it was.

Sasuke sighed and shook his head.

"What don't tell me you're being grumpy again?" Rei said.

"I'm not grumpy, stop telling people that." Sasuke said as his eye twitched.

"Yes you are, you were being grumpy yesterday. Besides, I don't need to tell people that, it's obvious since you're always brooding."

Sasuke sighed.

"That's because you were with that moron."

"Sasuke!"

He looked at her and frowned. Rei just sighed and shook her head.

"I'm never going to get you to stop will I?" She sighed.

"Hn."

Rei sent a slight glare at him and he smirked knowing that it annoyed her when he used that word. Rei sat down on the grass and Sasuke sat next to her. She leaned on him and yawned. He smirked and tried to nudge her off.

"Hey, stop that! I'm trying to get comfy." She pouted.

"I don't care, you're heavy."

"What did you say?" She said menacingly.

Sasuke smirked and Rei just stuck her tongue out at him.

"You're mean."

He chuckled at her childish behavior and allowed her to lean on him.

"Rei."

"What?"

"Since when has that guy been staying with you?"

Rei groaned and sat up.

"Why do you have to bring that up?"

"I just want to know." He said indifferently.

"Well, after the second exam Okoru-kun told me they were going to stay at an inn, but they're my friends so I told them they could stay with me for a while."

Sasuke sighed.

"You should have told me."

"I would have, but I didn't think it mattered."

"Hn."

"Stop saying that." She said as she poked him in the ribs.

Sasuke smirked and Rei just glared at him. She sighed and laid down on the grass.

"Sasuke-kun, were you really mad yesterday?"

Sasuke glanced at her and wondered why she was asking him that now.

"I guess I was."

Rei didn't say anything she just kept looking up at the sky wondering why he had been so mad that night. Sasuke looked at her and frowned.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I don't know, I guess I was just curious. But you know you really shouldn't get so mad."

"I know."

Sasuke thought back to the previous night and realized that he had indeed overreacted.

"Well, since you obviously don't want to train let's get something to eat. I'll buy you some ramen."

Rei smiled and nodded. She knew he was trying to apologize without actually saying sorry. She didn't mind, besides, hearing Sasuke apologize was one of those things nature never intended. Sasuke helped her stand up and they walked to the ramen shop. Rei grinned and concentrated on annoying Sasuke as they walked to the ramen shop.

"So, I heard your fanclub is holding a welcoming ceremony tonight, you better hide or you might end up tied to a chair in your underwear. But then again, I tied you to a tree once. I guess you're not so hard to kidnap." She said grinning.

She could see Sasuke's eye twitching and her grin widened.

"Don't worry though maybe you can scare them off with your death glare. I mean, it doesn't work on me, but what the hell, it's worth a try."

Sasuke glared at her and she just smirked.

"Yep, that's the one I was talking about. Not as scary as you think though."

Sasuke just sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Must you annoy me?"

"Of course! How else would I entertain myself?"

"Why don't you try being normal for a while?"

"Tried it, too boring." She said grinning.

"Hn."

Rei looked at Sasuke and glared.

"Stop saying that."

"Hn."

"You're so annoying sometimes."

"Hn." Sasuke smirked.

Rei sighed and gave up. Soon they arrived at the ramen shop and after having some lunch Rei decided to walk around for a while before heading home.

"Why can't we just train like we're supposed to?" Sasuke said moodily.

"Because I don't want to, besides, you train too much, you need a rest."

"I don't need a rest."

"Yes you do, and I haven't seen you in a while so I thought I would make up for all the time I wasn't able to annoy you."

"Well, aren't I lucky?" Sasuke said sarcastically.

Rei grinned and watched as Sasuke frowned slightly. She turned to find what he was looking at and saw a very familiar redhead walking their way. She smiled and waved as she heard Sasuke groan next to her.

"Hi Okoru-kun." She said as the boy reached them.

"Hi Rei."

He turned to the other boy.

"Hello Sasuke."

"Hn."

Rei looked at Sasuke and sighed. She decided to ignore him and turned to Okoru.

"What are you doing here?"

"I got bored so I thought I would walk around town for a while."

"I see you haven't been attacked yet." Rei said as she grinned.

Okoru sighed and slumped forward.

"I had a few close calls."

Rei laughed and patted her friend on the back.

"It's alright, but you always were popular, even back in Kirigakure."

At this Sasuke glanced at the two ninja and scowled.

"Yeah, but it didn't help that Zakyo would tell people where I was hiding."

Rei laughed nervously.

"Yeah, Zakyo…" She said trailing off and looking away.

Okoru looked at her and his eye twitched.

"It was you wasn't it?"

"Hey, I know, why don't I make dinner tonight?" Rei said trying to change the subject.

Okoru just sighed and shook his head.

"I guess I should have expected that. Well, I should go Zakyo will kill me if I don't feed her."

"Alright, I'll be home in a while."

Okoru nodded and walked away. Rei smiled and turned back to Sasuke. She frowned slightly when she noticed that he was glaring at her friend as he walked away. She poked him on his arm to get his attention.

"You know, it's not polite to stare, or in your case, glare."

Sasuke ignored her and Rei sighed.

"Don't tell me you're still mad?"

"I'm not mad. I'm annoyed." He said.

"Why do you hate him so much?" She sighed.

"I don't hate him."

"Then why do you always get mad when I talk to him?"

"Maybe it's because you like him too much." He muttered.

Rei gave him a questioning look.

"What are you talking about?"

"Nevermind."

Rei frowned and Sasuke sighed.

"It just annoys me how much time you spend with him. You didn't have to let him stay with you."

"I told you not to worry about him."

"I'm starting to worry about you." He said distantly.

Rei just looked at Sasuke as she was surprised by his response.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that maybe he's not the only one that feels something." Sasuke said grimly.

Rei frowned and Sasuke just glared at her. He felt irritated at her relationship with Okoru and he was actually starting to think that she might feel something towards him. It pained him to think about that, but he knew it was possible especially after seeing how defensive she was about him.

Rei couldn't believe that Sasuke would think that she loved someone else. She felt more upset with him than ever, but there was something else. She also felt disappointed. She was both saddened and offended at the revelation that Sasuke didn't trust her as much as she thought he did. She scowled and felt like she just wanted to punch him, but at the same time she didn't want to hurt him as she knew he was as upset as her. She knew that to some extent she was responsible for that and so she settled for less drastic measures.

"Sasuke you jerk!"

Sasuke was taken by surprise and so he wasn't able to do anything as she swung her leg and kicked him in the shin.

"Ow! What the hell!"

He looked up at her and saw that she was upset. She glowered at him before turning around and walking away. He sighed as he watched her leave and turned to go home. He knew he shouldn't have said that, but he couldn't help it. He would just have to deal with it later as he knew she would be too annoyed to listen to him. He just hoped she would listen to him.

* * *

Later that day, Rei sighed as she laid on the wooden floor outside facing small garden on the side of the house. She was still annoyed at what Sasuke had said, but she had also been thinking about the possibility of it being true. She had to admit, Okoru had been acting strangely, but then again, she hadn't seen him a in a long time. It was possible that she was just imagining things due to Sasuke's constant accusations.

She wondered if it was possible for her to be developing feelings for her friend. She recalled the time before Sasuke confessed her feelings and she had to admit that she had been utterly ignorant of her own growing feeling at that time. She supposed it was likely for her growing feelings towards her friend to go unnoticed once again. She groaned and placed her arm over her eyes as she closed them.

"What's wrong Rei-rei?"

She looked up and saw Okoru standing there. She sat up and raised and eyebrow.

"Rei-rei?"

"It's your nickname remember?"

"Yeah, I just haven't heard it in a while."

"Well, Zakyo reminded me of it. She was asking about you earlier." He sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Where is she?"

"She went out with Yu. She said she was bored and since she had annoyed me for most of the day Yu thought it would be wiser for her to take her for a walk around town."

"I have to admit that was pretty thoughtful on her part. You would probably have killed her after five minutes." She said smirking.

"True, but in my defense, you can be a lot more violent after being annoyed to a certain extent." He said, sitting beside her.

"So, how did it go with Uchiha?"

Rei sighed and sat up.

"Let's just say it would be wise for him to stay away for a while."

Okoru just shook his head.

"What happened?"

"Don't worry about it he was just being a jerk."

"By any chance, did it have anything to do with me?"

Rei didn't respond and Okoru sighed.

"Sorry for causing you trouble." He said.

"No, it's not your fault."

"Well, I just hope things get better between you two. You should really stop fighting."

"This is coming from the guy who tried to choke his cousin for waking him up by throwing him in a lake."

"To be fair, it was very cold and I was just playing around."

"You set up traps for her." Rei said with a deadpan expression.

Okoru's eye twitched and Rei laughed. Okoru just sighed and smiled at his friend.

"Seriously though, maybe it would be better if we headed back home."

Rei looked at him and frowned.

"But, I want you to stay for a while longer."

"I know, but we should probably leave anyways. We've stayed here for a while, so we should probably head back."

Rei pouted and Okoru just chuckled.

"Well, what did you plan to do, keep us here as hostages?" He said with amusement.

"Although now that I think about it you have managed to enslave me quite nicely, I mean, I do the cooking and cleaning."

Rei laughed and Okoru just smiled.

"Yeah, sorry about that, but you know you cook better than me and I just couldn't pass up the chance to have you as my cook."

He shook his head and Rei just grinned. He smiled slightly, but again his mind returned to the feelings that he shouldn't have at that moment. Rei gave him a strange look as he sat there with a thoughtful look on his face. She knew him very well and although he was smart it was rare for him to be so serious. He preferred to stay calm and relaxed most of the time. She poked him and he snapped out of his thoughts. After a moment of surprise he regained his aloof appearance.

"What is it?"

"It looked like you were thinking of something serious."

"Oh I was just thinking of how to escape from this place safely since it's obvious that you won't let me go."

"Stop kidding around, what's wrong?"

He sighed and looked away for a moment. He seemed to be thinking of what to say.

"Rei, I know I've caused trouble for you and I'm sorry. And I know you've been standing up for me with Sasuke, but have you ever thought that maybe he isn't completely wrong?"

Rei looked at him with confusion and Okoru had to admit that it was interesting to see her face change as she finally understood what he was saying. It was king of like being hit by a kunai, you saw it coming, but it still hurt when it finally hit. And so Rei finally knew what it was that he wanted to say. She looked surprised to say the least, but she also looked somewhat distressed.

"Sorry about not telling you sooner."

Rei smiled weakly and shook her head.

"No, it's alright I guess it's my fault for being so slow." She said chuckling a bit.

Okoru smiled and looked away towards the small pond before him.

"So, do you still think we should stay?"

"Of course I do. Did you think I would change my mind so easily?" She said grinning.

Okoru was surprised, but he just smiled.

"You're my best friend. Something like this can't change that."

He was glad to hear that and he had to admit that he felt better now that he had told her how he felt. Rei smirked and he wondered what it was that she was planning.

"Besides, if you left who would I bother?"

He sighed and slumped forward while Rei just laughed. She patted him on the back he looked up to find her face extremely close to his. He gulped and just sat there as he cursed his airheaded friend for being so unaware of his feeling to notice that she was making him uncomfortable. She looked at him with confusion and he couldn't help but lean forward and do the one thing he had been holding back from. He mentally kicked himself as he felt her tense as he kissed her. He drew back and felt his face burning. Rei just looked at him and then behind him. She groaned and Okoru knew why as he turned around and saw a very upset Uchiha standing a few feet away.

_**End chapter Fifty**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for the wait, but I wanted to make it good. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	51. Chapter 51

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this story and sorry for taking so long to update****, but I had school work and then I got sick****. Thanks to marimo head's lover, larrycucumber2, Uchiha Black, Tsukinoyo, lovefatedestiny, sweetpixie27, Mizu Hime, Princesa de la Luna, jjayno1, Valinor's Twilight, ruler of dragons, japcherryblossom14, Lyris88, Hibiki-chan, ForeverInTheMoment, Mayan and lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl for reading and reviewing. Please review, reviews make me happy and a happy author means quick updates. Anyways, on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Rei, Okoru, Zakyo, and Yu.**

_**A special thanks to yowazup for providing what must be the **_**most creative**_** (note the sarcasm) flame ever in which they wrote that the first chapter was "sucky". Needless to say that I was quite shocked (and offended)**__** by this**__**. I always thought that my stories deserved better, even when it came to flames. I mean, is it so hard to ask for flamers to be literate? And so passes another day in which I am amazed by the degree to which some people have sunk. Though I have to say, I now understand why this person sees the need to harass others to try t**__**o feel better after people mock**__** their lack of **__**a **__**vocabulary**__** (and intellect)**__**. Now that we've all had a good laugh I'll leave the rest of you to do some reading. **_

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**Chapter Fifty-One**

Rei stood there looking at Sasuke as he scowled and glared at Okoru who was standing next to her. She was still in shock at what had happened and so she didn't really know what to say. She was snapped back to reality as Sasuke walked up to her. He glanced at her and before she could register what was happening he punched Okoru. She heard the sound of Sasuke's fist connecting with Okoru's face.

Okoru stumbled back and looked up in time to block another blow from Sasuke. The Uchiha was seething and he didn't blame him. Even though he knew he deserved it he liked living and so he would have to fight back. He jumped back and wiped some blood from his mouth. Sasuke glared at him and Rei hurried towards him.

"Sasuke stop, it was an accident."

Sasuke turned to her and glared. She was surprised by the way he looked at her, but she knew he had a right to be mad.

"I'm sorry; it was just an accident so just stop okay."

"Yeah right, an accident, how convenient."

Rei frowned and held Sasuke back as he turned back towards Okoru.

"Do you really think I would do something like that?"

"Why wouldn't you? I've seen how close you are to him; maybe you never were just friends."

Sasuke pulled his arm free and stood before Rei.

"Don't worry I'll leave you two alone since that's what you want."

Rei stared at Sasuke and for the first time in a long time she actually felt like crying. Okoru watched as Rei just stood there looking at Sasuke as he turned to walk away. He scowled and walked up to him. Sasuke stopped as Okoru stood in front of him.

"Get out of my way." Sasuke growled.

"Not until you apologize to her. It wasn't her fault and you know it."

Sasuke glared at him, but Okoru stood his ground even as he looked into Sasuke's Sharingan.

"Move."

"Stop running away from her."

Sasuke scowled and punched Okoru. He stumbled and Sasuke walked past him. He scowled and charged at him, but Sasuke turned in time and dodged. He kicked him and although Okoru blocked he slid back a bit. He moved to the side to avoid getting hit again as Sasuke charged at him.

"Just listen to what she has to say." Okoru said.

Sasuke kept trying to hit him and although Okoru was fast, Sasuke managed to kick him.

"Stay out of this."

Okoru stood up and sighed.

"No, this is my fault and I deserve this, but Rei doesn't and I won't let you hurt her because of me."

Sasuke looked at Okoru and smirked. He had to admit, he had been looking forward to having a chance to fight the guy. Ever since he had met him he had wanted to kick his ass.

"Fine, you want to fight, let's fight."

Okoru glared at Sasuke and got ready to fight. Sasuke took out some kunai and threw them at him. Okoru deflected them with his own kunai. Meanwhile, Sasuke made some hand signs.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

Okoru frowned as he made some hand signs. Some water from the nearby pond gathered around him and protected him from the fire. Sasuke frowned and charged at the boy. Okoru tried to dodged, but Sasuke punched him. He smirked, but his smirk faded as Okoru turned to water.

"A water clone?" He said surprised.

"Yep and you fell for it."

Sasuke turned around and felt something wrap around his body. He growled as he saw Okoru standing in front of him.

"What do you think of my water snakes?"

Sasuke just glared at him.

"I guess the Uchiha clan isn't as strong as people say it is."

Sasuke swore he would kill him after he said that. He felt the snakes tighten their hold on his body. He looked at Rei and saw that she was just standing there with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

She watched as the two boys fought and thought of what to do, but she realized that she didn't know what to do.

"What's going on here?"

She turned around and saw Yu and Zakyo standing there. Yu looked at Rei waiting for an explanation, but she didn't say anything. She frowned and ran over to Okoru.

"Okoru, stop!"

He ignored her, but she grabbed him and prevented him from hurting Sasuke any further. Sasuke fell to his knees as the snakes dispersed and he glanced back at Rei. She was looking at him with an expression that he couldn't really name. He had never seen her like that, but then he realized that it was because he had actually hurt her. He stood up and glared at Okoru before walking away.

Okoru frowned and then remembered that Rei was there. He turned to look at her. She glanced at him and then turned to go into the house. He sighed and watched her leave.

* * *

Rei sighed as she let herself fall onto her bed. She turned on her side and just laid there thinking about what had just happened. She still couldn't believe what Sasuke had said, but then again he was probably hurt. She knew it was hard for him to get close to people and she was one of the few people he trusted. She felt terrible when she thought about this. After a while she decided to go to sleep. She would deal with things in the morning. 

Still, as she tried to sleep she thought about Okoru. She knew he probably felt bad about what had happened and she wished she could do something for him, but she couldn't just forget about Sasuke. Besides, Okoru would have to go back to Kirigakure with the others and she would have to stay. She groaned as she felt a headache approaching and hoped that she would be able to talk to Sasuke in the morning.

* * *

As Sasuke walked back home he couldn't stop thinking about the look on Rei's face. He had never seen her look so hurt and it made him feel bad to think that he was the cause of it. Still, what she had done had hurt him as well and he couldn't just pretend that nothing had happened. He scowled as he thought of Okoru. If it hadn't been for him he would still be with Rei. He wanted to blame Rei, but he knew it hadn't been her fault, but he still couldn't put all the blame on Okoru. Although he hated to even think of it he knew that he was also at fault for what had happened. If he hadn't acted so rashly things wouldn't be so bad. He frowned and just sighed as he kept walking. 

He arrived home and went straight to bed not wanting to stay awake thinking about Rei any longer. He knew he would have to face her sooner or later, but he would try to avoid her for the time being.

* * *

The next morning Rei woke up to find things unusually calm. She knew things weren't right when she woke up so early. She sighed and got ready for whatever the day would bring. As she walked to the kitchen she became aware of how quiet things were. She frowned and cautiously stepped into the kitchen only to find it empty. She was surprised to find that neither Yu nor Okoru were there as they were usually the first ones up. 

"Well, you're up early."

Rei turned around and saw Yu standing there with a smirk on her face. Still, she could see that there was something wrong.

"Where are the others?"

Yu sighed as she looked at her friend.

"After what happened last night Okoru decided that it would be better for us to leave. Apparently he doesn't want to cause you anymore trouble." Yu said calmly.

Rei was surprised to hear this and frowned. She was afraid Okoru would do something like this, but she couldn't really stop him from leaving if he really wanted to. Besides, they had stayed in Konoha for a long time. She sighed and turned around to fix herself some breakfast. Yu looked at her strangely before speaking.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" She said with a hint of surprise.

Rei stopped for a moment, but didn't turn around.

"Have a good trip."

Yu frowned.

"So you're just going to pretend you don't care?"

Rei didn't answer and Yu grew more impatient.

"And I thought you would at least want to say good bye to Zakyo."

"Yu, what can I possibly do? I can't make you stay here."

"You can at least say goodbye."

"It'll only make Zakyo feel bad if I do."

"She'll fell worst if you don't."

Yu sighed as Rei just looked at her.

"Fine, I guess this is goodbye then."

Rei nodded and Yu felt that even though they argued all the time she would miss her friend. She looked at her one last time and left.

Rei sat down alone at the kitchen table and sighed. Now she really was alone. Her friends were leaving and she didn't even have Sasuke. She looked out the window and wondered if staying in Konoha was the right thing to do. With Orochimaru on the move and Konoha in such a vulnerable state it would be easier for her to get caught by the snake bastard as she liked to call him.

However, she knew that if she returned to Kirigakure she would put her friends in danger. Even as she told herself this she knew that the real reason she wanted to stay was because of Sasuke. She didn't want to see him get hurt even if he didn't want to talk to her again. She wanted to make sure that he didn't fall into Orochimaru's hands. But she knew if Orochimaru really wanted him there wasn't much she could do.

She groaned and let her head fall on the table. Everything was so confusing. She didn't know what to do anymore and it was getting harder for her to stay in Konoha. She sighed, at least she still had Naruto. Nonetheless, she knew she would still feel alone. To be honest she had always felt alone, even when she spent time with her friends in Kirigakure. She supposed it was the fact that she was so different. No, that wasn't it. It was because she always pushed people away, even when she wanted to hold on to those she loved, she pushed them away.

She hated herself for it, but she couldn't help it. The truth is that she was afraid to lose what she had and so she would rather have nothing. She figured if she didn't have anything to lose there was nothing that could hurt her. But she had gotten close to people without meaning to. She had gotten close to Okoru, Yu, Zakyo, Sasuke…. She groaned as she stood up and headed outside.

* * *

Zakyo sighed as she waited for Yu to arrive. She hoped Rei would show up to say bye, but something told her that she wouldn't. She pouted slightly and kicked a rock that hit Okoru on the back of his head. She laughed nervously as he gave her a slight glare, but was surprised when he turned back to look at the road they would be taking. She frowned and cocked her head to the side in confusion. She knew by that time he would have usually killed her or at least left a good lump on the side of the head. He had been acting strangely and she really couldn't blame him. She looked at her cousin and sighed. Just then she turned around to see Yu walking towards them. 

"So, are you ready to leave?" She asked as she reached them.

"Yeah, let's go." Okoru said, taking one last look at Konoha.

They were about to leave when Zakyo stopped and turned around. Yu and Okoru turned to see Rei walking towards them. Yu smirked as Zakyo ran to Rei and threw herself at the older girl. Okoru just stood there and smiled. Rei grinned and managed to get free from Zakyo.

"You didn't think I would let you leave without saying goodbye did you?" She said.

Okoru shook his head.

"Well, I guess you guys have stayed here long enough."

"Yeah, we should really head back now." Okoru said.

Rei sighed and hugged him.

"I'll miss you guys."

Okoru was surprised, but he hugged her back.

"I'll miss you too."

He let go of Rei and smiled.

"It was good to see you again." Rei said.

"It was good to see you too."

"Yeah, I'll miss you Rei-san." Zakyo said.

Rei laughed and hugged her.

"Don't worry I'm sure we'll meet again soon. Just take care and don't be so reckless."

"We should say the same to you." Yu said as she smirked.

Rei laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

"I'll try."

"We should go." Okoru said.

The others nodded and began to walk away. Okoru sighed and looked at Rei.

"Sorry about what happened. I hope things get better for you."

Rei smiled.

"It's alright, I'll be fine. Just take care of those two."

He nodded and left before he had any second thoughts. Rei sighed and watched as her friends left. Once they were no longer visible she felt like she was alone and she hated that feeling. It made her feel weak. She frowned and turned around. She didn't feel like going home just yet so she decided to take a walk around the village and clear her head.

She walked around the village for a while before going to the training grounds. She laid down on the grass and sighed as she looked up at the sky. She wondered what would happen now. She didn't have missions, she didn't have anyone to train with, her friends were gone, and Sasuke probably didn't even want to look at her. She sighed and sat up as she heard something in the woods nearby.

Rei stood up and walked towards the noise thinking it could be Naruto as she knew he often trained around there. She walked through the woods until she found the person who was making all the noise. She frowned as she saw that it was Sasuke. He was panting heavily as he stood before a large stone that was missing large portions. She guessed he had been practicing the Chidori. She was about to leave when he noticed her.

They both stood there looking at each other for a while. Neither one really knew what to say. Sasuke frowned and Rei had to hold back the urge to leave.

"What are you doing here?" He asked with a hint of resentment.

"I heard you training and I thought it was Naruto."

"Hn."

Rei turned around and began to walk away. It was clear that he didn't want to talk to her and she wouldn't try to reason with him until she was sure he would listen. She sighed as she walked away and missed the saddened look that crossed Sasuke's face as he watched her leave. He wanted to talk to her, but he felt like it he should wait and so he was forced to put on his usual cold façade in hopes of hiding his feelings from Rei.

_**End Chapter Fifty-One**_

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**Hope you guys liked this chapter. I'll end it here because I'm sleepy and I have a music theory test tomorrow. ****Lol**** I'll try to update soon and the next one will have action. XD ****Yay**** action! Please review, reviews make me happy. Sayonara! **


	52. Chapter 52

**Hello people! Sorry for taking so long to update, but I've been working hard on my drawing portfolio for the AP exams so I haven't had too much time to write. Anyways, thanks to Mizu Hime, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, Rika-chan14, ruler of dragons, Valinor's Twilight, marimo head's lover, Hibiki-chan, iluvmitsukake, Mayan, Madeline Cullen, Lyris88, Princesa de la Luna, ForeverInTheMoment, tru-viet, GBAgentOtaku, Hinase Akanoma, and uchiha black for reviewing. Please review, reviews make me happy and a happy author means a good story and happy readers. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Rei and my other OC's so don't sue me!**

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**Chapter Fifty-Two**

Sasuke frowned as he walked trough town. He had been summoned by Kakashi and was on his way to meet him. As he walked he thought about his encounter with Rei earlier that day. He knew he had been harsh, but he was still upset about what happened. In spite of that he knew he had to talk to her, but he just couldn't bring himself to it. Looking at her hurt and he didn't want to feel anymore pain. Still, every time he thought about her he wished he could fix things, but he wondered if she would listen after what had happened. 

He sighed and tried to clear his head, but he could never really stop thinking about her. He cared too much about her. He decided that he would just talk to her later that day and apologize to her. He supposed that swallowing his pride was worth it if he could get back someone so important to him. 

* * *

Rei sighed as she walked to the ramen shop. She decided to have some ramen to try to lift her spirits. After seeing Sasuke she had felt more alone than ever. She supposed it was fair for her to feel that way. After all, she didn't really have anyone else in Konoha. She arrived at the ramen shop and smiled as she saw Naruto sitting there with a mouthful of ramen. Just the person she needed to make her feel better.

"Hello Naruto-kun!" She said happily.

"Hi Rei-chan!" He said.

Rei sat next to him and ordered some ramen.

"So, how is training going?" She asked.

"It's alright, I've been training hard."

"You better be." 

Naruto laughed and Rei smiled as she picked up some chopsticks and got ready to eat.

"How is Sasuke-teme doing?"

Rei stopped with her chopsticks halfway to her bowl. Naruto gave her an odd look. She composed herself and gave him a grin.

"He's as moody as ever." 

Naruto looked at her for a moment before replying.

"What's wrong Rei-chan?"

Rei was surprised to hear that, but she guessed she made things too obvious.

"Nothing, I guess I'm just a bit bored now that Okoru and the others left."

"When did they leave?" Naruto asked curiously.

"They just left this morning. They've stayed here for too long already. Their sensei will kill them when they get back." She said with some amusement.

Naruto grinned.

"Rei-chan, you're so mean."

Rei just laughed and ate her ramen. As they ate she sensed someone approaching. She turned around and saw Jiraiya standing there. 

"There you are." He said looking at Naruto.

"Perverted hermit!" He said with a mouthful of ramen.

Rei had to grin at Naruto's nickname for the sage.

"I've been looking all over for you."

Naruto seemed surprised to hear this. He looked at Rei and she grinned.

"I better go Naruto."

Naruto frowned slightly and she smiled.

"I'll see you later."

She stood up and looked at the hermit.

"It' was nice seeing you again mister hermit."

He smiled and she just grinned and left.

She began walking towards her home, but as she walked she passed some strange people wearing similar uniforms. Something about their chakra made her uneasy and she waited until she had passed them before glancing back at them. As she looked at their matching black cloaks with red cloud prints she felt like she had seen them before. She frowned and continued walking trying to remember where she had seen them.

When she was about to reach her home she stopped abruptly and a feeling of dread spread through her. She turned around and ran back the way she came as fast as she could. She had suddenly remembered why those men were so familiar. 

She thought back to the time she spent with Orochimaru. She remembered asking about an old cloak she had found when she was younger. She had just arrived at the headquarters and she was trying to get used to the place when she had tripped on it while walking around in a particularly dark room. When she looked down she found a black cloak with red clouds printed on it wrapped around her feet. Orochimaru found her and smirked in that wicked way of his.

That day he had told her about the old organization he had previously been a part of. According to him its goal was to gain control of the tailed beasts. It was this fact that alarmed her as she had recently found out that Naruto had the Nine Tailed Fox inside of him. 

If her suspicions were right the two men she had seen earlier were after Naruto. She hurried towards his home. As she got there she found Sakura climbing down the stairs of the building Naruto lived in. She stepped in front of her startling the girl.

"Sakura, have you seen Naruto?" 

"No, what's going on? Sasuke-kun just asked me the same thing and then he left in a hurry."

Rei scowled. If Sasuke knew what was going on then he probably went after Naruto. If he got involved he could get hurt. She cursed and left. She then recalled Naruto talking to the hermit at the ramen shop. She hurried to it and asked the man if he knew where they had gone. Apparently they were headed to a town not too far from Konoha. She thanked the shopkeeper and left. 

While she ran she thought about Sasuke. She was worried about him, maybe even more than she was about Naruto. At least Naruto had the hermit to protect him, but Sasuke was alone. Still, she knew that worrying wouldn't help and so she focused on getting to the town ahead.

Soon she had made it to the town. Unfortunately, the town appeared to be popular among travelers as it contained many inns. She groaned as she ran to the nearest one to begin her search. She just hoped she would be able to find her friends before it was too late.

She ran around the town for a while looking for any sign of Naruto, Sasuke, or the hermit, but she had no such luck. She paused for a moment after checking yet another inn and froze as she felt a strange chakra nearby. She could also feel Sasuke's ckakra. She hurried towards the place as she was worried about Sasuke. The strange chakra she felt made her uneasy. 

She reached an inn and saw a hole in a wall. She could see Sasuke, Naruto, and the hermit. The two men she had seen back in Konoha were also there. She ran upstairs and froze when she saw Sasuke being thrown against a wall by a dark haired man. When she looked at the man closely she noticed that he also possessed the Sharingan. She was surprised at the great resemblance between the man and Sasuke. 

"Rei-chan!" Naruto said surprised.

Rei looked at him and was glad to see he was alright. The hermit glanced at her before looking back at the two opponents. Rei looked back at Sasuke and saw him looking back at her. He was badly hurt and she glared at the man she knew was Itachi as he made his way towards Sasuke. 

She took out a kunai and ran towards Itachi. She was aware of the stupidity of what she was doing. After all, Itachi was an S-class criminal while she was still a Gennin. However, she couldn't just stand by and watch Sasuke get hurt. She could hear Naruto calling out to her, but she ignored him. 

As she got closer the other man whom she recognized as a wanted criminal from Kirigakure stepped in front of her. He swung his sword and she barely managed to dodge. She received a nasty injury on her arm. She flinched, but continued running. However, Itachi merely dodged her attack and kneed her in the stomach. She was sent back to where the others were. Naruto went over to her and she stood up shakily.

She watched as Itachi slammed Sasuke against the wall at the end of the hallway. She wanted to help, but she knew she was too weak. Suddenly Sasuke started screaming. She scowled and glared at the man torturing Sasuke. Naruto stood next to her watching as well. Rei turned to the hermit.

"You have to do something!" She said desperately.

Naruto growled and charged forward successfully avoiding the sword of Itachi's partner. The hermit made some hand signs when Naruto charged forward. She was surprised when she saw a strange kind of material covering the hallway. 

"Naruto, don't move!" 

Naruto listened to the hermit and froze. The two criminals began running away, trying to outrun the rapidly spreading attack. They turned the corner and she turned to the hermit.

"Don't worry, they won't get away." He said confidently.

A moment later tehre was a loud noise from where the two men had run off to. Jiraiya ran to see what had happened and Rei and Naruto followed. There was a whole in the wall with black flames around it. Itachi and the other shinobi were gone. Rei left Naruto and Jiraiya and hurried to where Sasuke was. He was unconscious and from the look on his face he was suffering. She frowned and just sat there with Sasuke ignoring the screams of Jiraiya and the familiar voice of master Gai.

Rei had decided to go back to Konoha with master Gai and Sasuke. It was important to get Sasuke to the hospital and she also had to get her injuries looked at. Naruto was going to travel with the hermit to look for someone named Tsunade. She didn't really know who that was, but it appeared that she would be able to help Sasuke and Kakashi, who had also been injured by Itachi. Still, she was worried and this was evident to Naruto as he looked at his friend.

"Don't worry Rei-chan. I promise I'll be back soon and then Sasuke and Kakashi will get better."

Rei grinned at Naruto.

"Yeah, well you better be back soon and you better be stronger by then."

Naruto laughed and Rei smiled. She walked up to him and hugged him.

"Be careful you idiot." She said.

Naruto was surprised but he smiled. She let him go and he grinned.

"Don't worry Rei-chan. I'll be fine!"

Rei sighed and smiled before leaving for Konoha.

* * *

Rei sighed as she sat next to Sasuke's bed. He hadn't woken up or even moved since they had gotten back. She had checked on Kakashi and he was in the same condition. Apparently Itachi had used the Mangekyo Sharingan and there was nothing that could be done for now. The only one that might be able to help was Tsunade. She sighed and leaned back in the chair. She just hoped Naruto would return soon.

She stood up and with a last look at Sasuke she left. She was still worried about Sasuke, but there was nothing she could do for him. Instead of just sitting around staring at him she could train and get stronger so that if Itachi returned she would be able to at least put up a fight. 

She still felt bad about how weak she had seemed back there, but she knew she shouldn't have expected anything better. She left the hospital and began to walk home but as she walked she thought about Itachi and the organization Orochimaru had mentioned to her long ago. In truth she knew nothing about those things, but then again she had never bothered to ask the snake bastard to go into detail about his past. She had always thought that the less she knew about him the better. 

Even as she thought this she knew he had mentioned the name of the organization before, but she just couldn't remember. There were a lot of things that she couldn't remember from the time she spent with Orochimaru. This was one of the reasons she had to be so careful all the time. She knew Orochimaru had many subordinates most of which she couldn't remember and so she had to be wary of the people she met. As far as she knew anyone could be a spy for Orochimaru. 

She arrived home and lied down on her bed. She flinched at the pain on her arm from the injury she had received earlier. Her stomach also hurt from the blow she had taken. She sighed and decided to rest for the remainder of the day. She would need her rest as she would train hard until Naruto returned. She didn't want to see her friends get hurt again and so she would get stronger in order to protect them. She wanted to protect Naruto, the villagers and Sasuke, even if he was still upset with her. Before she fell asleep she made a note to herself to fix things with Sasuke when he woke up. 

_**End Chapter Fifty-Two**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and again I'm really sorry for taking so long to write this but I've been drawing and playing the piano for most of the day and I can't feel my hands. Anyways, please review, reviews make me happy. I'll try to update soon. Sayonara! **


	53. Chapter 53

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Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter and sorry for not updating in a while. I've been very busy working on my art projects and finishing my portfolio. It's almost the end of the school year and I have a huge load of work to do. Anyways, thanks to uchiha black, Hibiki-chan, Mayan, Mizu Hime, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, Valinor's Twilight, Lyris88, ruler of dragons, Mai-'-Kawaii-'-Ai, and unknown player for reading and reviewing. Please review and tell me what you think. The more reviews I get the more I write.

**I started a new original story. It's my first original story and it's on . If anyone is interested in reading it PM me or tell me in a review. I'll give you the info you need to find it. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely Rei and my other OC's.**

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**Chapter Fifty-Three**

Rei sighed and let herself fall on the grass. She stared up at the sky as she laid there panting. She had been training for hours and she was starting to feel tired. She sighed once more as she stood up slowly and headed out of the field. She supposed it was time to visit Sasuke.

Although he was still unconscious she couldn't help but feel that she had to visit him. It had now become a routine for her. She would wake up early, yes _early_ as uncharacteristic of her as it may sound. She had a quick breakfast went out to train visited Sasuke and Kakashi then headed home.

She arrived at the hospital a while later and after a quick visit to Kakashi she headed to Sasuke's room. She frowned slightly at the sight of the boy laying in bed. There was no sign that he would wake up soon and she had to wonder how long it would be until Naruto returned.

She felt a bit guilty as she thought about how much she was relying on Naruto, but if she had gone with him she would have just gotten in the way. She looked out the window hoping he would return soon. Naruto had been gone for a while and she wondered how long it would take him to return.

She wasn't just concerned about Sasuke she was worried about Naruto as well. Apart from that, she missed the hyperactive blond. With Sasuke and Kakashi injured and Naruto gone there wasn't much to do. The only good thing to come out of this incident was the fact that she was on slightly better terms with Sakura. Apparently her concern for Sasuke made her somewhat sympathetic to how Rei felt at the moment.

Rei yawned as she looked out at the setting sun and decided that it was time to go back home. With one last look at Sasuke she turned and headed out the door.

The sun shone brightly through the window signaling a bright and sunny day. Unfortunately no amount of sunshine would put Rei in a good mood, at least not in the morning. As a matter of fact as soon as she woke up she glared at the sun and muttered a few curses at it. After her morning routine which included a quick breakfast she headed out to train for a while.

As she walked through the town and headed to the training grounds she had a weird feeling. It was as if something would happen that day, but it didn't seem like it would be something bad. On the contrary she felt good about the day ahead. She smiled a bit and continued on her way.

"Rei-chan!"

Rei stopped and turned around to look at the person who had called out to her. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she saw the young blond running towards her. She smiled widely and ran to meet him with a hug.

"Naruto-kun! You're back!" She said happily.

Naruto grinned as she held him. He had missed his teammate as much as she had missed him.

"Yeah, I just got back with the perverted hermit and I brought back Granny Tsunade. She'll be able to heal Master Kakashi and Sasuke." He said cheerfully.

Rei smiled and Naruto grabbed her hand and began to pull her along. They headed to the Hokage's house and Rei wondered what they were doing there. They ran into a blonde womam and Konohamaru. Rei was surprised to learn that she was to be the new Hokage. Naruto urged the woman to go to the hospital and heal Sasuke and Kakashi.

After a slight delay as they met Shikamaru outside while heading to the hospital they made it there and Naruto led them to the room where Sasuke was. Rei watched attentively as Tsunade healed Sasuke. She waited anxiously and smiled when she saw Sasuke opening his eyes. He blinked a few times and then sat up with a dazed expression. Rei turned to Naruto and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks for helping Sasuke, Naruto-kun." She said.

Naruto blushed and Rei just chuckled before walking over to Sasuke. She heard Naruto and Tsunade leave as she sat stood next to Sasuke's bed. He turned to her and looked at her with confusion.

"Rei? What happened?" He said in a low and tired voice.

Rei smiled sadly at the state he was in, but reminded herself that at least he was awake. She resisted the urge to hug him and contented herself with sitting next to him on the bed.

"You fought Itachi and he used his Sharingan on you. Luckily Naruto brought back Lady Tsunade and she was able to cure you." She said gently.

Sasuke stared at her for a moment and then looked away. She knew he was thinking back to what had happened. She sighed and waited until Sasuke turned back to her and this time his eyes weren't as tired anymore. She was sure she could see a hint of irritation, if not anger, in his eyes.

"Why did you follow me?" He said in a stern voice.

Rei frowned as Sasuke gave her a serious look.

"I was worried. I knew that you were after Itachi and Naruto was also in danger. I had to make sure you guys were alright."

Sasuke frowned and looked at her reproachfully.

"You shouldn't have followed me, it was dangerous. Besides, what could you have done to help? It's not like you could actually beat Itachi."

Rei furrowed her brow and gave Sasuke a small glare.

"I don't care if it's dangerous I couldn't just let my teammates fight by themselves. I'm a shinobi, I don't care about things being dangerous or not."

Sasuke scowled and she knew that he was feeling better.

"Well, I don't care about what you think. What you did was stupid. I'm the only one that can kill Itachi so just stop worrying about what happens to me."

"Why do you act like you care? Before you left you didn't even want me around you."

Sasuke looked like she had just stuck him. Rei looked away as he looked at her. She looked out the window cursing herself for bringing up that incident. The room was silent for a while as an air of awkwardness hung over them.

"When I saw you there, I was worried."

Rei turned to look at Sasuke. She was surprised by how soft his voice was and by the sadness in his eyes as he refused to look at her.

"I saw Itachi attack you and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to see you again. I was scared of losing you before apologizing."

Rei looked at him and all she wanted to do was to forgive him, but she couldn't forget how much he had hurt her.

"I know what happened between you and that guy was an accident. I trust you and I know I overreacted. I'm sorry."

Rei was surprised by his words. She knew it was hard fro Sasuke to apologize like that. She sighed and hugged him. She felt Sasuke stiffen in her arms as he clearly wasn't expecting the embrace. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her.

"You're an idiot." She said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Sasuke gave her a small smile as he let her go.

"So are you. You'd have to be pretty stupid to try to attack Itachi in such a forward manner."

Rei smiled and let the insult slide. She would beat him up later when he felt better. At the moment she was just happy to have him back.

* * *

Rei yawned as she rested against a tree. She stretched and stood up dusting her clothes with her hands.

"Shouldn't you be training?"

Rei smiled and turned around to see Sasuke smirking at her.

"You of all people should know that just because I say I'll do something doesn't mean I'll actually do it." She said with a grin.

Sasuke shook his head and sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder how you became a shinobi." He said with amusement.

"Hey! For your information I'm _very_ strong!"

"Yeah right, just because you're stronger than most of the other kunoichi doesn't mean you're strong."

Rei stuck her tongue out at Sasuke and he just chuckled.

"You're so mean to me!" She whined as she sat down again.

Sasuke sat next to her and gave her a smug smirk.

"I like to think I'm honest." He said.

"Maybe you're too honest."

She leaned against him and he just smiled and wrapped his arm around her. She sighed as she looked up at the sky. Sasuke glanced at her and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She said.

"Really, then why are you so quiet?"

"Well, this is new, you're actually complaining about me being quiet." She said with a grin.

Sasuke just sighed and shook his head a bit as he gave up. He knew Rei well enough to know when it was hopeless to argue with her.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn."

Rei ignored his use of his favorite phrase.

"What are you going to do now?"

Sasuke looked at her questioningly.

"About what?"

"About Itachi." She said after a moment of hesitation.

Sasuke frowned and looked away.

"I guess I'll just have to keep training. I have to get stronger." He said although the last part was more to himself.

Rei frowned and stood up. He looked up at her and she gave him a small smile.

"I think I'll go home now, I'm kind of tired."

Sasuke looked at her carefully before standing up.

"I'll walk with you."

"No, it's alright, I'll be fine."

Sasuke frowned, but said nothing as she walked away.

Rei didn't go home like she had told Sasuke. Instead she went to the memorial in the training grounds. She stood before it and frowned. She needed time alone to think of what she should do. She wanted to stay with Sasuke, but she knew that his main goal in life would become a problem in the future. He was fixated on getting revenge for his clan and she didn't think she would be able to stay with him knowing that he was basically following death.

Itachi was powerful and although she believed in Sasuke's ability to become stronger she knew that it would be very difficult for him to defeat his brother. She was worried about him and she would always worry as long as he went after Itachi. Still, she knew that he wouldn't change and she would have to accept that. All she could do to help was support him and grow stronger. She sighed and said goodbye to her father as she turned and headed back home.

_**End Chapter Fifty-Three**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for not updating and for making this chapter so short. I'll try to update soon, but I've been busy. Please review, reviews make me happy. Sayonara!**


	54. Chapter 54

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter and sorry for the long wait. I've been a bit busy lately and just returned from a trip. I also had to work on the new chapter for one of my original stories. Anyway, thanks to lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, Mrs.MonkeyD.Hitachiinx3, uchiha black, Valinor's Twilight, unknown player, Lyris88, ruler of dragons, Narutoske, Lighting Wings, and The Memories of Old for reading and reviewing. Please review if you have the time. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

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**Chapter Fifty-Four**

Rei sighed as she walked to the hospital to visit Sasuke. They had returned from a mission as bodyguards during a race a while ago and Sasuke had gotten injured so he was currently staying in the hospital. She knew he hated it, but he didn't complain too much. Still, she worried about him, he had been acting strange ever since they returned and she didn't know why. She stopped at the hospital gate and looked up at the building. She had an ominous feeling about it, but she just dismissed it and walked in.

The nurse at the desk smiled and waved at her as she walked in. By this point her and Sasuke were regulars at the hospital. She grinned at the thought and walked up to Sasuke's room. She stopped as she opened the door and the smile on her face slid off at the sight of an empty bed. The bed sheets were messy so she knew he had been there before. She groaned and hurried off to find him.

As she ran through the hallway she sensed his chakra. She concentrated on it and frowned as she realized where it was coming from. She ran to the roof and hoped that he wasn't doing anything too reckless, but she only became more worried when she sensed Naruto there as well. Sasuke's chakra felt strange, it was a hostile feeling and she wondered if he was fighting. She opened the door to the roof and her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Sasuke and Naruto fighting.

Sasuke's Chidori crackled around his hand while Naruto's Rasengan spun quickly in his palm. Rei wanted to do something to stop them, but she knew there was nothing she could do. She saw Sasuke looking at her and she couldn't help but give him a pleading look asking him to stop. Just as their attacks were about to collide Kakashi appeared and stopped them. Rei didn't move, she just stood there looking at Sasuke in disbelief. He looked at her and then tore his gaze away from the pained look on her face.

Rei watched as Sasuke left and although she wanted to follow him and make sure he was alright she felt like he wouldn't listen, at least not at that moment. Aside from that she was too upset to even try to talk to him. She left without knowing where she would go. All she wanted to do was to get away from that stupid hospital. She ran away from the hospital and to the training grounds where she hoped she could be alone.

She stopped when she arrived at the gravestone and let herself fall to the ground. She sat there for a while and was surprised when she felt a tear sliding down her cheek. She wiped it off with her hand and laid down on the grass. It was strange to think that she was so affected by Sasuke's behavior, but she guessed it was because she knew why he had fought Naruto. The boy had become a lot stronger and Sasuke had begun to doubt himself and his ability to become stronger. She knew how important strength was to him but she had never thought that he would go as far as to fight his teammate. She sighed and stood up to go home. She looked down at the gravestone and frowned.

"Father, what should I do?" She said softly.

It was strange to think that for all the things she had been through, Sasuke always gave her the most trouble. When it came to him she went as far as to wish her father was there to give her some advice. It seemed that lately she had been faced with the same decision and it wasn't an easy one. To be honest she had been putting it off for a long time, but now she didn't think she could do it anymore.

She had to decide whether she would stay with Sasuke and support him or give him up due to his thirst for power. It was the hardest decision she had to make and she wasn't sure about what her choice would be anymore. A while ago she wouldn't had doubted her decision to stay with Sasuke, but she wasn't so sure anymore. She didn't know if she could stay by his side while he fought his friends.

It was obvious that he would do anything to get strong enough to beat his brother and although she had told him she would support him she didn't think she could keep her promise. She sighed and walked off to her house. It was one of those days in which she didn't feel like being outside. All she really wanted to do was to be by herself for a while and think about what she would do.

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Meanwhile, Sasuke was sitting on a tree branch thinking of what had just happened and of what Kakashi had told him. He knew he was right, he shouldn't use his power to fight his friends. He was also aware of how lucky he was to have so many people that cared for him. As he thought about this he remembered Rei and the look on her face when she saw him fighting Naruto. He sighed and rested his head on the tree trunk.

It was dark already and Sasuke was still sitting on the tree branch thinking. Suddenly four shinobi from the sound. Sasuke fought them, but they proved to be too strong. However, instead of killing him they asked him to go with them to Orochimaru. It appeared that the Snake had sent them to get him. After they left Sasuke let himself fall to the ground. He sat there for a while thinking of what to do, but he already knew what his choice would be.

He stood up and headed home to get ready for the trip. But defore he could leave, even after he had packed his bag, there was something he had to do. He walked out of his house and headed to Rei's house. When he arrived he smiled a bit as he saw her sleeping outside. She was the only one that would ever fall asleep while sitting outside. He went over to her and picked her up gently. She stirred and opened her eyes a bit.

"Sasuke?" She asked quietly.

"Sleep." He said.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. At that moment she didn't really care about what had happened before, she was just glad he was there. He walked to her room and set her down on her bed. She looked up at him and frowned when she noticed his bag.

"You're leaving…"

Sasuke frowned, but nodded.

"I have to leave for a while."

"Why? Where are you going?"

"I don't know, I just have to get stronger."

He watched as she looked at him with a pained expression and sat up.

"I'll go with you."

He shook his head.

"No, you have to stay here where it's safe."

"Then will you come back soon?"

Sasuke didn't answer and Rei looked down.

"You're not coming back are you?"

There was a pause in which Sasuke didn't dare answer. He knew it would hurt Rei to see him leave, but it wasn't fair to just leave without saying goodbye. He wanted to make sure that she knew he would miss her. He was surprised when she hugged him tightly. He hesitated a bit before returning the embrace.

"Please don't leave."

"I have to go."

"No, you don't just stay here, please. I promise I'll help you get stronger. I'll train with you everyday and I'll stop fooling around so much. I promise I'll train hard with you, just please stay."

Sasuke knew she was crying by the sound of her voice.

"I don't want you to go…"

Sasuke let her go and took a step back.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"But, I love you."

Sasuke stood still after she had said that. He had never heard her say that before. He looked at her as she sat there with tears in his eyes and wondered if he really could leave. After a moment he turned around and walked to the door.

"Just forget about me. From now on we have to walk different paths."

He felt her grab his arm and frowned. He turned around and kissed her. Rei held onto him and felt that maybe he wouldn't leave after all. He broke the kiss and sighed.

"Goodbye Rei."

Her eyes widened as she felt a sharp pain on the back of her neck. She struggled to keep her eyes open, but she couldn't. Sasuke caught her before she hit the floor and carried her to her bed. He looked at her one last time and then left.

As he walked down the deserted streets he thought of how she would react when she woke up. Knowing Rei she would probably be more angry than sad. He didn't doubt that she would try to kill him the next time she saw him. Their next meeting was something he would both look forward to and dread. There was no doubt in his heart that he would miss her, but he wouldn't return to her. He just hoped that she would forget about him, even if it hurt him to think of her leaving him behind. The last thing he wanted was to be nothing but a bad memory, but he knew it was better for her.

_**End Chapter Fifty-Four**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and please review if you can. Again sorry for the long wait and for making this so short, but I'll try to update soon. Meanwhile enjoy the cliffy! MUAHAHAHAHA!!...ahem…pardon the randomness. Meanwhile you can check out my other stories or head on to my profile and check out my original stories.(…shameless advertising…) Until next time.**


	55. Chapter 55

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to Mizu Hime, uchiha black, unknown player, Mrs.MonkeyD.Hitachiinx3, The Memories Of Old, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, Valinor's Twilight, Lighting Wings, Lyris88, MissDramalicious, ruler of dragons, and Tateno Atsukino for reading and reviewing. Please review if you have the time. One of the reasons I like writing this story so much is because I always get a lot of reviews I feel so loved. I love getting up the day after I update and getting a lot of reviews, it gets me in a good mood even after I pull a Rei and end up on the ground next to my bed. Now without further ado, here is the long awaited battle at the Valley of End!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

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**Chapter Fifty-Five**

It was early in the morning when Rei groaned and sat up slowly in her bed. She glanced around the room with a dazed look. For a moment she didn't know what had happened the night before, but slowly, a look of comprehension appeared on her face. She jumped out of the bed and jumped out her bedroom window. She remembered what had happened and how Sasuke had left. She ran to the Hokage's building ignoring the weak feeling in her legs from having just woken up after being knocked out.

Rei ignored the people in the building as she hurried to the Hokage's office. She didn't bother knocking and just walked into the room. Tsunade looked up in surprise at the girl standing before her, panting.

"Hokage-sama, Sasuke's gone!"

Tsunade frowned and looked at the girl with sympathy.

"I've already been informed by Sakura who saw him leaving last night. I sent a team to retrieve him just a while ago." She said calmly.

Rei was surprised to hear that, but she was also relieved at the news that a retrieval team had been sent. However, she knew if Orochimaru was behind this he had probably sent someone to take Sasuke to him.

"Who was sent after him?"

"I asked Shikamaru to gather four other gennin and go after him, Naruto should be with him."

Rei frowned and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Tsunade said.

Rei looked back at her with a serious expression.

"I'm going to help them, if Orochimaru is behind this then they'll need all the help they can get. Besides, I still have a score to settle with that snake bastard."

Tsunade looked at the girl as she clenched her fists. She sighed and nodded knowing she was right. It was better if she went to help. Rei didn't wait for the Hokage's approval. She left and hurried off to find Sasuke. She made it out of the village in record time, but she wasn't really paying attention.

She was still thinking about Sasuke. It was hard to tell if she was mad or sad at what had happened. She was hurt by Sasuke's decision to leave even after she pleaded with him to stay, but she was also mad at him for leaving with Orochimaru. Even as she ran she couldn't help but wonder what he had been thinking when he decided to leave Konoha.

She knew it he left he would be branded a missing nin and a traitor to the village. It was hard to think that he would rather abandon everyone and go to Orochimaru than stay in Konoha just so he could be stronger and defeat Itachi. She couldn't believe that he had left her. It hurt her to think that he was gone and that he had left on his own. The fact that he didn't care about leaving his friends behind, about leaving her behind hurt more than anything. She wiped the tears that had just appeared in her eyes and pushed herself to go faster.

She couldn't afford to let her emotions get the best of her. Orochimaru had probably sent someone to get Sasuke and she knew how strong some of his subordinates were. If she let her feelings get in the way of her fighting she could die before she got to Sasuke. She frowned as she thought of the others. She hoped they were alright, but she also hoped that Naruto was fine and that he would be able to stop Sasuke. She had faith in him, but something in her heart told her that it would be hard to change Sasuke's mind.

She ran through the forest for what seemed like hours when she finally stopped to rest for a moment. She looked around and saw a footprint on a branch as she took a closer look she saw what looked like a dog's footprint.

"Must be Kiba." She muttered.

At least for now she knew which way they had gone. They were probably heading to the border of the Firecountry. She knew she had to hurry to catch up so she hurried off to find the others. After a while of traveling she saw no sign of the others. She felt a drop of water hit her face and looked up to the cloudy sky. She knew she had to hurry before it started to rain or it would be harder to track Sasuke. She just hoped that she could reach him before it was too late.

* * *

Sasuke stood before Naruto as the blond boy lay on the ground. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret for what he was doing, but he knew he was right. He couldn't stay in Konoha any longer. Even as he had fought beside his best friend and argued with him on a regular basis, he knew he was happy, but he also knew that his happiness couldn't last. He was too different. He had always been different from everyone else.

No matter how hard he tried he couldn't let the past go and as much as people told him that he was wrong for wanting revenge so badly he knew they didn't understand. They could never understand the pain that he felt everyday as he woke up in an empty house or when he entered his dark and cold home. No one could understand how much Itachi had taken from him and no one could ever know how much hatred he harbored for his brother.

Even after meeting Rei, he hadn't given up on his vengeance and it was this that sometimes made him regret having confessed his feelings to Rei. He had always known that he would end up hurting her, but he had pushed those thoughts back in order to enjoy the little time he was allowed to spend with her. He knew he had been selfish, but he couldn't help it, he just wanted to be with her for as long as he could.

He doubled over on pain and fell to his knees as he coughed up blood. He looked down at Naruto as his face rested a few inches above his. As much as he had tried to he couldn't bring himself to kill him. He really was his best friend, but he wouldn't sacrifice him to gain power like Itachi had said. He would get power on his own.

His headband slipped off his forehead and fell next to Naruto. He stood up slowly ignoring the cold rain soaking his body. Sasuke turned to leave, but stopped as he looked up at the top of the waterfall. His heart skipped a beat as he saw Rei standing there with a pained look on her face. She jumped down and landed gracefully on the river. She stood on the surface looking at him as he held his arm.

Even as she stood there looking at him with pain and sadness reflected in her eyes he couldn't help but remember the last time he had seen her standing beneath the rain. He remembered that day as they walked down the streets of Konoha. She still looked the same as she stood there with the rain sliding down her hair in front of her clear blue eyes which shone brighter in contrast with her pale skin. It pained him to see those eyes clouded with pain.

"Sasuke, I won't let you leave." She said seriously.

He frowned and knew he would have to fight her. As he thought of this he knew that he would have to ignore his feelings for her if he really wanted to leave. Apart from that he would have to finish the fight quickly. He had already spent a large portion of his chakra while fighting Naruto. He wouldn't be able to use the curse mark of the Chidori.

"I'm not going back. I told you, it's time we go our separate ways."

"Why? Why do you always have to do things on your own? Just stay with us."

"No, I'm not like you I can't stay in Konoha any longer. I have to get stronger and I have to do it on my own."

Rei scowled and clenched her fists. Sasuke could tell she was holing back her anger. She looked down for a moment and when she turned her gaze back at him he was surprised at how dark the look in her eyes was.

"You've made up your mind haven't you?" She asked quietly.

Sasuke nodded.

"Fine, then so have I."

She disappeared from his line of vision. He activated his Sharingan and turned around time to block her attack with his own kunai. The sound of metal hitting metal echoed around the valley even through the sound of the pouring rain. He stared directly into her eyes and frowned at the cold look in them.

"I'm taking you back to Konoha and I don't care how."

Sasuke glared at her as she jumped back and threw her kunai and several shuriken at him. He deflected them and threw his kunai at her as she made some hand signs. She didn't move, instead the kunai was lost in the water that rose before her.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Missile!"

Sasuke ran to the side to avoid the attack, but it was too fast. He was hit by it, but avoided most of it. Still, he was pushed down into the river by the water. He struggled to reach the surface, but as soon as he made it out he was kicked back into the rock wall several feet back. He hit the wall hard and then dodged to the side as several kunai flew his way. He stood up quickly and saw Rei charging at him. He threw some shuriken, but she dodged them easily as she made some hand signs.

"Elemental Taijutsu: Earth Style!"

She punched the ground as soon as she reached the shore and caused spikes to shoot out of the ground. Sasuke quickly moved out of the way and ran at Rei. She dodged his attacks and tried to punch him, but his Sharingan saw her next move and he was able to catch her fist. He punched her in the stomach and she stumbled back. He made some hand signs as she stood up.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

He watched as she disappeared among the flames. Smoke rose from where she was. When it cleared he saw that she was no longer there. He jumped back as she shot out from the water beneath him, but she spun and kicked him. He stumbled back even though he had dodged and she took the chance to punch him on his cheek. She continued to hit him and then kicked him back into the rocks behind him. Sasuke groaned and looked up to see her heading down towards him ready to kick him. He jumped out of the way and scowled as the ground cracked from the force of her kick. She glared at him as she stood there and he wondered if she actually wanted to kill him.

"Sasuke, just give up. I know you're tired from the fight with Naruto."

He smirked.

"I still have enough strength to beat you."

"We'll see about that." She muttered.

Sasuke ran at her and she dodged his attacks for a while, but he kicked her legs and she stumbled and lowered her guard. He took this chance to land a few blows and kick her back into the rocks behind her. She stood up slowly with blood trickling down the corner of her mouth. Before she could fully raise herself to her feet she was slammed back into the wall. She gasped as she felt Sasuke's hand clamp down around her neck. She looked up at Sasuke and was surprised by the intense glare that he was directing at her.

"I told you it's useless, I won't go back."

Rei glared and swung at him, but he caught her fist. She grabbed his arm with her other hand and tried to pry his hand off of her neck, but it was no use. After a minute her vision became blurry and she began to feel dizzy. Sasuke threw her to the side as he watched her about to lose consciousness. She gasped for air and rubbed her throat. She looked up at Sasuke and saw him walking away.

She stood up shakily and threw some shuriken at him. Sasuke turned around and dodged her attack. He looked at her with fake disinterest. He knew that she would keep trying, but from what he had seen, she wasn't fighting at her full capacity. It was obvious that she didn't want to fight him and neither did he, but it would be easier for her to accept his departure if she felt enough anger towards him.

"Give up, you have no chance of winning. You're too weak."

"You're the weak one, you can't even gain strength on your own." She growled.

"If I didn't get stronger it's because of you. All you did was get in the way of my goal."

Sasuke watched as her face changed from angry to furious. He had to admit that it was something he didn't want to see again. The water around her began to swirl around her and a moment later she was no longer there. Sasuke activated his Sharingan again and held his arms up just as she punched him. The force behind the blow was different from before and he slid back a bit as he caught her arms.

"You want me to help you get stronger? Fine, let's see how strong you are!"

She kicked him back and made a series of complicated hand signs before getting into a strange fighting position. Sasuke recognized it as one of the fighting positions she used with her Kekkei Genkai.

"Wind Style Taijutsu."

Sasuke scowled and knew he would have to keep his distance. He had seen her using that technique before and he had seen how dangerous it was. He slid into a fighting position and ran at her. Rei slid to the side and blocked a kick from Sasuke. She tried to punch him, but missed. However, she released some chakra mixed with wind which scratched Sasuke. He flinched as he felt the wind cut his upper arm.

They continued to fight for a while and Sasuke had gained several small cuts and bruises and some larger cuts on his arms and legs. Rei jumped back and Sasuke could see her panting. He knew that she had used up a lot of chakra. He was tired as well as he had been using his Sharingan for a while. If it wasn't for that he wouldn't have been to dodge her attacks.

It was obvious that she was taking the fight a lot more seriously now, but there was something that told him that she was still holding back. Rei glared at Sasuke as he looked at her. She didn't know what was wrong with her, she knew she should have already been done with him. As she stood there she knew she didn't have much time left. Her chakra level was low so she couldn't use her Kekkei Genkai anymore. Ninjutsu would be hard to use against Sasuke's Sharingan and the same applied to Genjutsu and Taijutsu. She sighed and reached into her kunai pouch.

Sasuke watched her and knew she was planning her next move. He took out a kunai as she reached for her weapons. She raised her hands and did some quick signs. A thick mist began to engulf them and Sasuke recognized the technique as the one Zabuza had used when they fought him. He put his guard up and got ready to defend himself. He deactivated his Sharingan as he knew it was of no use. Instead he concentrated on trying to sense her chakra.

He blocked her attack with his kunai and she jumped back before he could attack. As he listened for any sign of Rei he heard the faint sound of water as she moved. He turned and caught her by her arm. Rei was surprised and Sasuke took the chance to throw her up in the air. He jumped up and appeared above her. She new was he was going to do and so she crossed her arms in front of her.

Sasuke brought his leg down and she hit the water with great force. She gasped at the sharp pain in her arm as she sunk down into the river. She struggled to reach the surface and coughed as she held her arm. The mist was starting to disperse and she new she was running out of chakra. She stood up and looked around for Sasuke.

She turned as she sensed him behind her. She too out a kunai and slashed at him but he blocked. She jumped back and threw her kunai, she heard metal hitting metal and knew he had deflected it. The mist was almost gone and she knew she had to take advantage of it for as long as she could. She charged at Sasuke who was surprised by her attack. He expected another attack with weapons and held up his kunai, but Rei had none. He was surprised as he felt the weapon sink into her body. He looked up into her eyes and saw that she was as surprised as him. Warm blood trickled down his hand and he felt her weight increase as her strength gave out.

"I told you to leave me alone you idiot!" He growled.

Rei glared at him and gathered her strength into her fist as she punched Sasuke, sending him back. Her vision got blurry as pain from her various injuries racked her body. She felt her feet sinking into the water and looked up one last time at Sasuke as he turned and left.

He knew there was nothing he could do for her and although it hurt him to do so he turned his back on her and let her sink down into the dark waters of the river. Hurting her was something he had never wanted to do, but it was too late now. It was better if she hated him. He just hoped that help would arrive before it was too late. As it was, there was nothing he could do for her now and so he left in the hopes that he would become powerful enough to get his vengeance. He would make sure to get strong as this chance to gain power had cost him greatly.

_**End Chapter Fifty-Five**_

* * *

**Hope you guys liked the cliffhanger! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Anyways, please review if you have the time, remember a happy author makes a good story. XD **


	56. Chapter 56

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to Mrs.MonkeyD.Hitachiinx3, Valinor's Twilight, Tateno Atsukino, Mayan, Mizu Hime, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, unknown player, The Memories of Old, uchiha black, Lyris88, MissDramalicious, and xXx.Murakami.xXx for reading and reviewing. Please review if you have the time. Now on to some announcements.**

**A lot of you guys asked me in reviews or in messages what would happen with the story. Some of you guys are concerned about the story ending soon while others think there's a sequel coming up soon. Others asked if it would carry on to Shippuuden so here are a few answers.**

**_1. The story won't end for a while and to be honest I'm starting to wonder how many chapters it will end up with. _**

**_2. There will not be a sequel unless you guys ask for one once the story ends. It would be troublesome so I will continue the story under the same title. However, if you guys want a sequel, extra chapters, side stories, etc. just tell me and I will consider your suggestions._**

**_3. After this chapter there will be a few more chapters before the Shippuuden arc begins. They will not be fillers, instead they will set up the story for the Shippuuden arc. You can look forward to a few twists._**

**Now that that's said on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty-Six**

Water surrounded Rei as she sunk down into the river's depths. Her eyes were closing slowly and it was nothing but will power that kept her awake. Pain swept through her body concentrating on her left arm which Sasuke had kicked and her abdomen in which the kunai was still embedded. Her lungs stung as she ran out of air and she knew she had to do something, but her body wouldn't respond.

She pushed herself to move as she ran out of time and began to move up to the surface. Her muscles burned as she finally broke out of the water and gasped for air. She winced as she moved towards the shore and lay on her back as she coughed up blood and water. She winced as she grasped the kunai stuck in her body and pulled on it with all the strength she had left. She cried out in pain as she removed the weapon.

Rei stayed there for a moment as she tried to calm herself. Her hands were shaking and she closed her eyes as she tried to calm down. However, as much as she tried she couldn't push away the various feelings gathering inside her. She couldn't stop thinking of what had just happened it seemed like it was just a bad dream. She didn't want to believe that someone she had cared about so much would hurt her so badly. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. Her sadness had extended past that point.

She looked over at Naruto who lay a few feet to her side and wondered what he would say when she told him she had failed. It was hard to think that Sasuke had been able to abandon not just her, but also his friends and his home. Suddenly, she felt all the anger that she had been holding inside rush out. She growled as she struggled to her feet. She swayed as she stood there and panted as she held her wound which was bleeding profusely.

She felt weak from the lack of blood and chakra in her body, but she ignored it and began to move in the direction Sasuke had gone off in. She stopped as she sensed someone nearby. She looked up and saw Kakashi heading towards her and Naruto. She frowned knowing he would stop her.

Kakashi looked at her with concern in his visible eye. He moved towards her and she saw that Pakkun was with him.

"Rei, what happened?"

"Sasuke's gone…"

She could tell he was frowning even through the mask. She turned around and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

She stopped, but didn't look at Kakashi.

"I'm going after him."

"No, you're injured, we have to get back to Konoha."

"I'm fine, take Naruto, he needs help."

Even as she said that she knew he didn't need help as badly as she did, but she wouldn't let Kakashi stop her. She stumbled and fell, but Kakashi caught her and laid her on the ground. He reached into his kunai pouch and took out some bandages. Rei just laid there as he wrapped up her wound. She knew she wouldn't be able to catch up to Sasuke. Although she hated to admit it, she was too weak at the moment to go after him. She let her eyes close and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Bright light streamed in through the open window as the white curtains swayed in the wind. Rei groaned as she opened her eyes and saw that she was once again in a hospital room. For a moment she couldn't remember what had happened, but then memories from the fight flashed through her mind. She felt all of the pain from before return along with the anger and sadness.

She raised her right arm and saw that it was covered in bandages. Her left arm was in a cast, she knew it was broken. After a moment she braced herself and then tried to sit up. She flinched as pain spread through her body, concentrating on her abdomen. She lay down again and sighed as she stared up at the white ceiling. The last thing she wanted to do was stay in that room alone and think about what had happened.

Unfortunately it seemed that she would have to stay there since she couldn't really move. She looked to the side and saw a flower in a vase on top of the bedside table. She wondered who it was from, she really didn't know many people in Konoha. She frowned as she thought of how different things would be now that Sasuke wasn't there. It would be hard for her to get used to his absence, but it would be harder still to sort out her feelings.

She was hurt about his decision to leave. Even though she knew it would be hard to change his mind she hadn't expected him to actually try to kill her. To be honest she hadn't fought to her fullest back there, and it was too late when she realized that she had to try harder. It was difficult for her to hurt him even after all he did because she still cared for him. Even at that moment she cared for him. Perhaps her biggest regret was not having fought to keep him there. She had been weak even after she had told herself to get a hold of her emotions.

Apart from the pain that Sasuke had caused her there was also anger. She was furious at him for leaving everyone. Naruto had probably fought very hard to keep him there but he hadn't cared. He hadn't cared about her even after she pleaded with him to stay. He had been so arrogant and selfish that she couldn't believe she had ever cared about him. As she thought about this the door opened and she was surprised to see Naruto walk in.

He was covered in bandages, much like her and she wondered how he had gotten there. She was glad he was fine, but she didn't want to see him so soon. She knew that he had fought hard and even after he had given her more time to get to Sasuke she hadn't been able to get him back. She looked away and Naruto frowned and walked over to the girl.

"Rei-chan, how are you feeling?" He asked quietly.

Rei sighed and looked at him. She could see that he was worried about her. She smiled a bit.

"I'm alright, what about you? It looks like you were beaten pretty badly."

Naruto grinned.

"I'm fine, I'll be out of here in no time."

Rei smiled, but Naruto could see that she was upset. He knew she would be which was why he was there.

"Rei-chan, I'm sorry. But I promise I'll get Sasuke back!"

Rei was surprised by Naruto's sudden outburst. She sighed and shook her head before offering him a small smile.

"It's alright Naruto. You tried your best, besides, I couldn't bring him back either."

Naruto frowned as Rei looked away.

"I'm sorry I didn't try harder, I should have fought harder…"

It was hard for Naruto to see his friend like that. He knew she cared about Sasuke so it must have been hard for her to watch him leave.

"Rei-chan, don't worry, I'm sure we'll get Sasuke back. I'm going to train really hard with the pervy sage and then I'll get Sasuke back. I promise."

Rei smiled and nodded. There was something about the way Naruto grinned at her that made her feel better. She knew he would keep his promise and she knew she would do it not just for her, but also for Sasuke. Sasuke was like a brother to him so she knew he felt the same way she felt. However, she didn't think she would deal with things in the same way he would. Still, she smiled as well as she could at the moment and was glad to see that Naruto was reassured.

"I know, Naruto-kun, I'll train hard too so we can work together and bring Sasuke back."

As Naruto stood there grinning a nurse entered the room. Both Rei and Naruto knew what was coming. Naruto paled a bit while Rei smirked. A minute later Naruto was dragged out by the nurse apparently he was still supposed to be in his room. Rei sighed as Naruto's loud complained stopped making the room completely silent.

Now that she had time to think she wondered what Naruto would do when he found out what her true plan was. She had lied about wanting to train and get Sasuke back. She knew that no matter how hard they tried, Sasuke wouldn't return to Konoha. It was hard to accept that, but she knew it was true. He was just too stubborn.

His determination to kill Itachi was too much and she doubted he would listen to her or to Naruto. She knew she had to get stronger and so she would train, but she wouldn't try to convince Sasuke to return. She would have to talk to Tsunade about what she wanted to do when she got out of the hospital.

* * *

A week had passed and Rei was glad that she was able to leave the hospital. Naruto had visited her often while she was there and surprisingly so had Sakura. Apparently she had been the one leaving flowers for her. According to her it was a thank you for having tried so hard to get Sasuke back. She was glad to have finally gotten on better terms with Sakura, even if they weren't the best of friends just yet, and even if she wouldn't have a change to take advantage of her willingness to put up with her.

She looked up at the bright blue sky as she walked out of the hospital and sighed. It was good to be back outside, but at the same time it was hard to think of what she was about to do. She had a strange feeling that day and she recognized it as the same feeling she had when she left Orochimaru.

She felt like a bit scared of what was going to happen, but she also felt like she had to do it. There was a strange sense of determination as she walked to the Hokage's office. She walked in calmly and Tsunade looked up at her with surprise.

"Tsunade-sama, I have a request."

Tsunade gave her a strange look. She frowned a bit and sat up in her chair, clearly curious as to what the girl wanted.

"What is it?"

"I heard that Naruto is leaving to train and I know Sakura is training with you. It seems that everyone in my team is working hard to get stronger and bring Sasuke back, but I know that if I stay here I won't be able to grow stronger."

"So what do you want to do?"

Rei looked at Tsunade seriously.

"I want to leave Konoha."

Tsunade frowned at the girl.

"No." She said decisively.

"I have to leave, there's nothing left for me here." Rei argued.

"You're a member of this village and a Gennin, I won't allow you to leave on your own."

"I'm strong enough to take care of myself. I've been alone for years now and I've traveled on my own before."

"Yes, and according to your file you almost died. It was only because we found you that you are alive."

Rei scowled.

"If you don't let me go I'll just leave on my own. You know you can't keep me here."

"If you leave you'll be a missing-nin."

"I don't care."

Tsunade frowned deeply and sighed.

"Where will you go if you leave?"

"I'm not sure yet, I thought that I would travel for a while and train. There is something I want to get back, you should be aware of what it is."

Tsunade nodded and looked at the girl carefully. She could see that she was determined to leave and she wouldn't order anyone to watch her as she needed all the shinobi to continue working on missions.

"So you want to get Sasuke back?"

Rei sighed and Tsunade thought she saw a saddened look cross her face.

"No."

Tsunade gave her a puzzled look and Rei got ready to tell her about her plan. She was aware that Tsunade would be unhappy about it, but she had to be honest to her.

"I want to get stronger so that I can kill Sasuke."

She watched as Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise. Before the Hokage could say anything she continued to explain.

"I know you disapprove and I know that I would be betraying my teammates, especially Naruto, but I've made up my mind. I know he won't return no matter how hard we try and so the only thing to do is kill him before Orochimaru uses his power to attack the village."

Tsunade fixed the girl with a scrutinizing stare trying to figure out why she would go so far as to want to kill Sasuke.

"I won't let you do that. I believe Naruto is leaving to train so that he can bring Sasuke back."

"I know that."

"He won't be too happy about this."

"That's why I don't want him to know."

Tsunade thought about what to do with Rei. If she told her she couldn't go she would just leave. If she let her go she would probably go after Sasuke and Orochimaru would probably kill her. She sighed and looked at Rei as she stood there with bandages on her left arm and neck.

"If I let you go I don't want you to go after Sasuke."

Rei was surprised to hear that Tsunade was considering letting her go. In truth she had expected the Hokage to refuse her request she just wanted to warn her of her departure.

"I don't plan on going after him until I'm strong enough."

Tsunade nodded.

"I'll allow you to leave to train, but you have to return before you even think of searching for Sasuke."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"And you can't leave now you're still recovering so you should rest for a few days."

"Of course."

"Then you can leave." Tsunade sighed.

Rei was about to leave but stopped.

"Tsunade-sama, please don't tell the others about this. I want them to think that I want to bring him back."

"They'll find out eventually."

"I know."

"What will you tell Naruto?"

"I don't know, I guess for now I'll just tell him I'm going to train."

Tsunade nodded and Rei left.

* * *

Rei spent the next few days getting ready for her departure. She packed up her things and got her supplies ready. It was strange to think that she was leaving so soon. She hadn't been in Konoha for very long, but she loved the village. It was her home and she would miss the people there and the places that she liked to visit like the ramen shop. As she thought about that she decided to go out one last time to get some ramen.

She stepped out of her house and headed to the ramen shop. When she arrived there she smiled when she saw Naruto sitting there. He would also be leaving the village soon to go train although she would leave before him. She hadn't told him she was leaving and as he turned and grinned at her she decided that it was only fair to tell him. She sat down next to him and ordered her usual bowl of miso ramen.

"Hiya Naruto!" She said cheerfully.

"Hi Rei-chan. How come I haven't seen you around for a while?" He said through a mouthful of food.

Rei sighed as her food was placed before her.

"Well, I've been cleaning things up a bit back home. I'm getting ready to go on a trip."

Naruto stopped eating and looked at her.

"Where are you going? Do you have a mission?"

"No, it's not a mission. I just thought that with you gone and with Sakura training with Tsunade there really isn't much to do around here."

"So where are you going?"

"I don't know yet, but I'm heading out for a while to train. I figured it would be better than staying here."

"But isn't it dangerous?" Naruto asked, clearly concerned for his friend.

Rei smiled at the boy.

"I'll be alright. Besides, a little danger will push me to get stronger."

Naruto frowned and Rei sighed.

"You know if I train hard when I return we might be able to bring Sasuke back."

Naruto smiled at her.

"We'll definitely get him back."

Rei grinned.

"Yeah, besides, since you're leaving with the pervy sage we might run into each other someday while we travel."

"Yeah, when are you leaving?"

"I'm leaving in two days, first thing in the morning. I want to see how far I can get before it gets dark."

Naruto nodded.

"Oh, there's something I wanted to give you. I was going to visit you afterwards." He said digging into his pocket.

Rei watched as he pulled out a Konoha headband. It was scratched where the leaf symbol was and she knew who it belonged to.

"It's Sasuke's. I thought you would like to have it."

Rei smiled and shook her head.

"No, that's alright, you should keep it. It'll motivate you to train harder."

"Are you sure?" Naruto said uncertainly.

Rei nodded. The last thing she wanted was something to remind her of what she had lost. She knew she couldn't tell Naruto that just like she couldn't tell him her true purpose for training.

* * *

The days passed quickly and soon the day Rei would leave arrived. She sighed as she got up and that morning there were no groans or complaints from her as she quietly got ready to depart. There was no rush to get ready because she was going to meet someone that day and there was no feeling of excitement for what the day would bring. There was just a hollow feeling as she wondered through the house gathering her things.

She stepped out of her house and gave it one last look as she headed out to the main gate. She walked quietly and quickly through the busy village as the people around her hurried and went through their morning routine. She stopped at the gates as she saw Naruto and, to her surprise, Sakura standing there.

"Good morning Rei-chan!" Naruto said happily.

"Naruto-kun, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you off, Sakura-chan came too."

Rei smiled.

"Thanks, I guess I won't see you guys for a while."

"But you'll come back stronger and then we'll be able to bring Sasuke back." Naruto said.

"Yeah, I promise I'll get stronger so you better train hard."

Naruto grinned and Rei hugged him.

"I'll miss you Naruto-kun."

"Yeah, me too."

She let him go and turned to Sakura.

"Thanks for coming, I really appreciate it." She said with a smile.

"I'll train hard too and when you come back I want to fight with you. I want to show you how strong I really am." Sakura said with a determined look on her face.

Rei smirked.

"You better train hard, because I'll definitely get stronger."

Sakura nodded. Rei sighed as she turned back to face the forest that lay before her.

"I guess I'll see you guys in a few years."

She looked at Naruto and smirked.

"You better get stronger."

"Of course I will."

"Take care Naruto."

"You too." Rei smiled and headed out.

She looked up at the sky while she walked. The sun shone brightly above her and the wind blew gently and made the trees around her sway. She sighed and tried to calm the nervous feeling in her heart. Again, there was that strange feeling inside her and now she knew what it was.

It was anticipation of what was to come. It was a sense of nervousness and excitement of what she would encounter during her travels and of what she would learn. That day was both a new beginning for her and a return to her old life. On that day she would leave her old life and return to where she left off.

There was no one with her to depend on or lead her in the right direction. There was only her instinct that told her where to go and the sound of the leaves rustling in the trees. She sighed and thought of where she would go next, but she had already made up her mind.

"First stop's Kirigakure." She said to herself.

She wasn't too fond of her home village, but there was something she had to do. Long ago she had left something very important while she ran from Orochimaru. Now it was time for her to get it back as it would be of great help to her in her future goals.

Even as she walked she had to appreciate the irony in her situation. Even after changing her outlook on life and finally finding someone that she thought would make her happy it had just resulted in her returning to her old ways. She was back to her initial goal of vengeance and this time it wasn't just Orochimaru she was after.

_**End Chapter Fifty-Six**_

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**Well, hope you guys liked this chapter. Looks like Rei is back to her evil old self again. Although you guys never did see that side of her. Kinda gives me an idea for a side story. Anyways, please review if you have the time. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Sayonara!**


	57. Chapter 57

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to MissDramalicious, Joushou-Sensei, Bakagirl101, BlondeTwig1990, Lyris88, zakuro93, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, Tateno Atsukino, Mrs.MonkeyD.Hitachiinx3, Mizu Hime, MercuryCrush, Valinor's Twilight, The Memories of Old, Lighting Wings, Mayan, ruler of dragons and uchiha black for reading and reviewing. Please review if you have the chance. Now on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty-Seven**

It was late in the day and Rei sighed as she felt another pang of hunger. She hadn't had anything to eat that day and she wondered how much longer it would take her to reach the next village. It was her seventh day of traveling and she had spent three days in a small village. She had trained for a while and stayed at one of the many inns they had. Apparently it had been a popular town for travelers. Of course, she had left with food, but she had also decided to take the long way to her home village. Now that she no longer had food left she was starting to regret her choice.

She knew she could just look for food since she was in a forest, but she was lazy. Apart from that she could smell food cooking in the distance. She had a very good sense of smell when it came to food. She grinned as she saw a small inn by the road. As she made her way towards it she wondered if she could somehow weasel her way out of paying.

Rei had enough money to travel for a while, but she didn't want to spend more than was necessary and if it was possible she would like to spend less than that. One of the things she had learned during her time traveling on her own was that money tended to run out at very inconvenient times. She stepped into the inn and saw an old woman with a kindly face behind a counter. There were a few wooden tables spread around the room and she could smell the food cooking over a large fire.

"Hello." Rei said to the woman.

"Welcome dear, what do you need?"

"Well, is there a village nearby?"

"Yes, there is one about half a days walk from here. Are you alone?"

Rei smiled and nodded.

"Yep, I'm traveling for a while to train." She said fixing her headband.

"Oh, you're a ninja. But aren't you too young to be on your own?"

"Don't worry I'm stronger than I look. I guess I should leave though, I want to see if I can get to the next town."

Rei allowed her stomach to grumble even though she had been holding her hunger in for a while. She laughed sheepishly at the old woman.

"I guess all that training made me a bit hungry."

"Oh, you were training?"

Rei nodded.

"Yep, all morning." She lied.

"Then why don't you eat something first? You shouldn't travel on an empty stomach."

"No, it's alright, but thank you."

"No, no, it's on the house. Take it as a reward for training so hard."

The old woman motioned for her to sit on a stood at the counter while she served her some food. Rei smirked inwardly at getting a free meal. So far so good.

"Here you go."

Rei smiled at the bowl of soup set before her.

"Thank you, it's really kind of you to give me some food."

"Think nothing of it." The woman said.

As Rei ate she sensed someone approaching. She frowned at the hostile aura she sensed from them. A moment later three large men walked in. They looked around and sat at a table behind Rei.

"Hey, old woman, bring some food." One of them said.

Rei tried to remain calm as the woman who had served her filled three bowls for the men. She went to their table and the men looked at the soup in disgust.

"What the hell is this? Bring some real food!"

He pushed the plates to the side, making them fall to the floor. The old woman hurried back to her place behind the counter while the men laughed. Rei sighed knowing she would have to do something. Luckily they were nothing but thugs from what she could see.

"Hey, stay right here and don't bother making any food for those guys." She told the old woman.

"No, it's alright you shouldn't trouble yourself with them you could get hurt."

Rei smirked at the woman.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Hey, hurry up you old hag!"

Rei turned to the men and scowled.

"We're talking here you jerks. Mind your damn manners." She snapped at them.

She watched as the men went from amused to enraged. They stood up and walked towards her.

"What did you say you brat?"

"You heard me you moron." Rei said as she stood up.

The man noticed her headband and smirked.

"A ninja huh? Let's see how strong you are."

He swung at her, but she just dodged and grabbed his arm. She pulled him towards her and kneed him in the stomach. She let him fall to the ground as the other two watched in surprise. They scowled at her before trying to hit her. She dodged easily and beat them in a moment. She smirked as the men lay on the floor groaning.

"Now, I think you owe her some money for the food and things you broke." She said.

"We're not giving you anything!" One of the men said as they stood up.

Rei glared at them and cracked her knuckles. The man flinched at the sound and reached for their wallets.

"Here!" They said as they threw some money at her.

Rei grinned as she watched the men flee. She turned to the old woman who was looking at her with surprise.

"Here you go, this should cover their bill. I'll clean up their mess for you." Rei said with a smile.

"Thank you." The woman said as she took the money.

Rei finished her meal and then cleaned up like she had promised the old woman.

"It's getting late, maybe you should stay here for tonight." The woman said.

Rei smiled.

"Thanks, I would really appreciate that."

The woman led her to a room upstairs. It was small, but it looked comfortable with a small bed, a desk, a chair, a window and a bathroom. Rei thanked the woman and sighed as she closed the door. She dropped her bag by the door and let herself fall onto the bed. Saying that she was tired was an understatement. She had been traveling for a while, but it was more than that. It was as if all the trouble she had run into lately was wearing out her body. Perhaps the main thing that was affecting her was Sasuke's departure.

She frowned as she stared at the ceiling and thought of the day he had left. It still pained her to think of it and it surprised her. She had always taken pride in knowing that she could forget about her past, at least to the point where she wouldn't think about it too often, but it was different this time. No matter how much she tried she couldn't forget about him.

Maybe it was because he had left so suddenly, but she just couldn't believe that he had changed so much so suddenly. She couldn't believe that after spending so much time with him and caring so much about him she was now training to kill him. It was as if she was caught in an illusion that she just couldn't escape. No matter what she did or where she went she always ended up alone. She was beginning to think that it was useless to try to find some happiness. It was as if she had been cursed from the day she was born.

It was strange to think that so many things had happened to her in such a short amount of time considering that she was still so young. She had already lost many people she loved and she had taken many lives. Killing was one of the things that she was not looking forward to on this journey, but she knew that as much as she tried to avoid it she would have to do so to live. She was a shinobi and even if it was hard, even if she hated it she would have to keep killing for as long as she lived.

At least now she had a choice. When she was with Orochimaru she never had a choice, or so she liked to think. When she was with him it was usually kill or be killed. Knowing that her friends were waiting for her had been the only thing that kept her alive and even when she left Orochimaru she was only driven to go on by the thought of her friends. Now there was nothing but the desire for revenge driving her and she had to wonder how she had changed so much.

A long time ago, before she even left Orochimaru she had always thought of revenge. She had hated her own teacher and worked only to be able to kill him one day. Back then she was very much like Sasuke, but after learning of the pain she caused her friends she changed into the person that she was. She learned to accept people and to appreciate life, but most importantly, she had learned that true strength came from the desire to protect the people you care about.

Now that she sat there on her own, living for nothing more than vengeance she had to admit that she had strayed greatly from her past ideals to which she had been so committed. She also had to wonder how her friends would react to her new source of motivation. The one person she worried about the most was Naruto. She really cared about him, but she knew it would hurt him to learn that she was after his best friend.

She sighed and turned on her side. It was getting dark fast and she was glad that she had been able to stay in there for the night. She would leave early the next day and head to Kirigakure. She knew that if she hurried she would be able to reach the village by dusk, but then again she had never liked traveling in a hurry. She guessed she would just have to push her laziness aside this once. In truth, she was anxious to see her friends again. Even if she just watched them from a distance, even if she was in disguise, she wanted to see them. She wouldn't ask them for help though, she just hoped that they didn't find out she was there.

* * *

Rei sighed as she stepped out of the inn the next morning. The sun was shining brightly despite it being so early. Her bag was slightly heavier as the woman from the inn had given her some food for her trip. Now that she thought about it she felt kind of bad for taking advantage of her, but reminded herself that she had helped her with the thugs the previous day.

The day seemed to last too long as the anticipation of returning to her old village build up inside her. She couldn't help but frown when she saw the village in the distance. Before she got too close she made sure to remove her Konoha headband and replace it with her Kirigakure headband. She sighed and made her way to the village.

Getting in proved to be easy enough although she did receive some strange looks. Once she was in the market she sighed in relief knowing that she could relax a bit more. Still, she walked quickly and headed to her old home trying to ignore the fact that she hated the place. To her, that house wasn't a home, it hadn't been one since her father died. It held many painful memories that she would much rather forget and after their last mission there it also held memories of Sasuke back when he was just starting to show he cared for her.

As she walked she failed to notice someone looking at her. She was startled when someone called her name. She winced at the familiar voice and turned slowly to find herself facing a very familiar pair of forest green eyes beneath a mess of bright red hair. Rei didn't have time to respond as she was trapped in a tight embrace. After a moment her friend let her go and she smiled at him.

"What are you doing here?" Okoru asked.

She couldn't help but notice the hints of concern lacing his voice.

"I'm just passing through."

He gave her a look of disbelief, but said nothing.

"Are you on a mission? Where are the others?" He asked suspiciously.

She frowned a bit, but then regained her composure.

"No, I'm here on my own."

Okoru frowned and looked around.

"Come on, let's talk at my house."

He pulled her away and they walked in silence. Rei could tell that he knew that something was wrong. He had always been good at telling when something was off. They arrive at his home which was a house of fair size next to the water. She could hear the soft sound of the waves hitting the shore and smiled. Okoru led her inside and sighed as he turned to Rei.

"So, why did you come back?" He said seriously.

"I told you, I'm on a little trip."

He looked at her carefully as if her face would give anything away. He sighed and shook his head.

"You really haven't changed, even now you don't want to tell me the truth. You still don't trust me do you?"

"I trust you, I just don't want to get you involved."

"Whether I get involved or not is my choice. All you can do is provide me with enough knowledge to make that choice."

Rei smirked.

"You got smarter."

Okoru's eye twitched in annoyance.

"Don't change the subject."

Rei sighed.

"Fine, I just decided to leave Konoha for a while to train. I thought I would come and visit since I was nearby."

"What about your friends? What about Sasuke?" He asked suspiciously.

Rei frowned and looked away.

"He's gone." She said in a dull voice she had not used in years.

Okoru seemed to notice. He gave her a surprised look and then frowned.

"What happened?"

"He left the village to go to Orochimaru."

Okoru looked at his friend with sympathy. He knew what it was like to lose someone you cared about in that way. After all, he had lost her in the same way a long time ago.

"I see, so you're training to get him back."

"No."

The boy looked up in surprise when he heard her response. He was startled by the cold and distant look on her face. He could also see a look of anger flash across her face.

"I want to kill him."

It took a while for him to realize that he had heard her correctly.

"So you came for the scroll."

She nodded and he sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Well, it should be back in your house, but you shouldn't go on your own."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She sighed.

"For the time being you can stay here."

Rei smiled at her friend.

"Thanks, you sure your dad won't mind?"

Okoru froze and frowned a bit.

"Dad died shortly after we returned from Konoha."

Rei was taken aback by this. She frowned and laid a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, he was a great man you know."

Okoru smiled at his friend.

"Yeah, thanks, but don't worry about it. I'm alright."

Rei nodded knowing that it was true. He was strong and he knew how to handle the loss of a loved one no matter how hard it was.

"Where's Zakyo?" She said looking around.

"Well, she should be on her way back right now. She just went out for a walk."

"Great, I can't wait until she gets here and attacks me." Rei said with a grin.

"Don't complain, I have to put up with her every day."

Rei laughed at her friend as he led her to her room.

"You should rest. Tomorrow I'll go with you to get what you need."

"Thanks, goodnight then."

"Yeah, goodnight."

Okoru left and she lay down on the bed and stretched out her muscles. It was strange to be back in her old village. The last thing she wanted was to go back so soon, but she knew she had to. She had to make sure her friends were alright and she had to get something that would help her on her journey. Still, she would try to leave as soon as she could and she knew Okoru knew that. He probably wanted her to stay for a while longer, but he also knew that it was dangerous for her to stay for too long. She knew he would understand her reasons for leaving so soon.

* * *

The following morning, Rei left the house early and headed for her old home. She was careful not to wake Okoru as he would want to accompany her. She knew he would be a bit more than annoyed, but she didn't want him to worry too much about her. It was important for her to go alone even if the memories in that house were too painful.

She walked calmly down the streets and ignored the people around her. More than once she thought she sensed a few rather hostile looks, but she had expected that from the moment she decided to return. People had never liked her in that place and she didn't really blame them. It seemed that she never did anything but hurt people whenever she was around. Apart from that there was the deep dislike for people with bloodline limits that the villagers held.

This was especially true in her case as she had had very little control over her abilities when she was younger. But it wasn't just her abilities that caused the people to look down upon her. She had always been different and she supposed in part it had been due to her father. He had always spoken of Konoha and she had often found herself wishing that she could go there. She had never really embraced her home village and this had become even more evident when she left.

She sighed as she stopped in front of her old home and couldn't help but frown at the place. Just standing there and looking at the old house brought memories that she had been all too happy to forget. She walked in and walked quickly to the training room that she used to love so much when her father was alive. It was a large room with different weapons lining the back wall. Time had covered the place with dust and darkened the room along with the rest of the house. The air in there seemed to choke her as she walked to the back wall and she stifled a cough as she stopped before the wall.

On the wall there was a small seal that wouldn't be noticed among the numerous weapons unless you looked for it. She made a series of hand signs and placed her hand over the seal. A moment later a large space was opened on the wall and she grinned a bit to herself as she pulled out a large scroll. The scroll was one of the few reasons why she would ever return to Kirigakure. It was one of the few things that her father had entrusted her with and in it were his most powerful skills. She just hoped that they would be enough to help her in her journey.

_**End Chapter Fifty-Seven**_

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**Hope you guys liked this chapter and please review if you have the chance. I love readers who review and to all who do have a cookie! (hands cookies) XD**


	58. Chapter 58

**Hello guys! I'm back and riddled with guilt for taking so long to update this story among others. Anyways, hope you guys like this chapter and thanks to lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, Joushou-Sensei, Mrs.MonkeyD.Hitachiinx3, Lyris88, MissDramalicious, Valinor's Twilight, Lighting Wings, TatenoAtsukino, The Memories of Old, Bakagirl101, MercuryCrush, ZzGeniuszZ, Eterna1, and zakuro93 for reading and reviewing. Please review if you have the chance. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty-Eight**

Rei groaned as she sat at the kitchen table listening to Okoru as he rambled on about how she should have waited for him. At first it had been a bit amusing to see him acting like an overprotective mother, but after a while she got tired of him telling her off in an irritated tone and so she let her head fall onto the table with a dull 'thud'. The redheaded boy sighed and rolled his brilliant green eyes as he looked down at his friend.

"Are you done?" Rei asked in a muffled voice without looking up.

Okoru felt his eye twitch in annoyance. Before he could strangle his friend Zakyo walked in and grinned widely as he saw Rei.

"Rei-chan!"

She lunged at the older girl, but her cousin caught her by the back of her shirt and pulled her back.

"Leave her alone."

"Why?" The girl whined.

"Because if you hug her you'll end up choking her to death."

Everyone turned around to see Yu standing by the door. Rei smiled a bit at her friend's statement. The girl walked in and smirked down at Rei.

"When did you come back?"

"Yesterday."

"And what did you do to piss off this one?" She said leaning on Okoru.

"I just went for a little walk and Okoru got a bit annoyed because I didn't tell him."

"She left at dawn to her house on her own."

Yu looked at Okoru calmly.

"I don't see the problem in that." She said.

"The problem with that is that she could get in trouble if she walks around town like that. She left the village a long time ago, but I bet there's still people who can recognize her and who are not too happy that she abandoned the village and left for Konoha." The boy said seriously with a hint of irritation.

"Okoru, I think Rei can take care of herself." Yu said.

"Yeah, besides, I wasn't alone." Rei said as she rested her head on the palm of her hand which rested on the table.

Yu smirked at her friend and sighed.

"How did you know I was following you?" She asked.

"God Yu, how many times have I had to track you down? Of course I would find out you were following me." Rei muttered with disinterest.

Yu didn't respond and just turned to Okoru.

"See, she wasn't on her own."

Okoru sighed and sent a slight glare at Rei who was looking out ahead of her with a dazed look.

"Did you at least get what you wanted?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I did." She said snapping out of her thoughts.

"Does that mean that you'll be leaving soon?" Zakyo asked with a saddened look.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Zakyo-chan, but I really can't stay. I have something I have to do."

"Will you come back after you do whatever you have to do?" The girl asked hopefully.

A sad look crossed Rei's face and it did not go unnoticed by Yu and Okoru. Okoru looked away while Yu waited for Rei to answer. The girl smiled at her friend but the smile did not reach her bright blue eyes.

"Of course I will Zakyo-chan."

Okoru frowned as he watched his younger cousin smile widely at his friend.

"Zakyo, do me a favor and go to the market to pick up the groceries." He said.

Zakyo frowned at the boy.

"Why me?" She complained.

"Well, Rei can't go, Yu isn't responsible for our meals and I'm doing the cooking."

"But-" Zakyo began.

"Zakyo." Okoru said calmly but with a stern tone.

The girl sighed and gave her cousin a slight glare.

"Fine, I'll get the stupid groceries."

They watched as she left muttering curses along the way. Once they weren't able to hear her anymore Yu and Okoru turned their gaze to Rei. She glanced at them from the corner of her eye as she sat at the table with her head still resting on her hand.

"So what's on your mind?" she said calmly.

Okoru looked at her seriously and she could see anger on his face. Still she didn't show any signs of worry.

"You know I won't stop you from doing what you're doing no matter how stupid I think it is, but I won't let you lie to Zakyo. You don't mean to come back I can see it in your eyes."

Rei sighed and turned to face Okoru. His frown deepened at the sight of the serious look her face held. Her eyes flashed with anger and he realized how serious she was about her plan.

"That's right, I don't plan to come back, but it's certainly not because I don't want to." She said evenly.

"Then why…?" Okoru said trailing off at the end.

"You really are stupid if you think I can come back from fighting Sasuke and Orochimaru. Even if I manage to stay alive you can bet the Hokage won't be too happy and neither will my teammates." She said grimly.

Okoru froze where he stood and even Yu was surprised.

"You're going to die aren't you?" The boy said with much withheld grief.

"Whether I die or not is not certain, but it is the most likely result."

She was giving straight and truthful answers. They were answers that were constructed on logic and expressed no emotion whatsoever. Okoru knew this was because it pained her to speak about this. She was blocking her emotions for their sake, just like she always had.

Yu looked from Rei to Okoru with a confused look.

"What the hell is going on here?" She asked impatiently.

Rei sighed and looked at her.

"What did you want to ask me Yu? Why did you come?"

Yu stared at her with some exasperation.

"I wanted to know why you came back for the scroll." She said.

Rei frowned a bit and looked away.

"Sasuke left with Orochimaru to gain more power. He wants to use Orochimaru's power to kill his brother. However, Orochimaru also wants to use Sasuke's power to destroy Konoha. That's why I've decided to kill both of them before they can cause any trouble. That's why I need the scroll, to get stronger."

Yu sighed and shook her head.

"You're an idiot." She said.

Rei looked up in slight surprise.

"Wasting your life for Sasuke and that snake bastard won't solve anything. You're just wasting your time and you're wasting the power that your father left you."

She furrowed her brow and glared at Yu.

"Shut up, I know what I'm doing so don't meddle in my affairs." Rei said coldly as she looked away.

Yu glared back at Rei while Okoru stood there looking at the two girls nervously. He knew Yu had crossed the line when he mentioned Rei's father, but she was right. Yu put on a smirk usually intended to intimidate her opponents, but with Rei it was just to show how serious she was.

"Tell me Rei is it lonely up there in your pedestal? Do you like looking down on those weaker than you?" She said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

Rei scowled at her.

"What the hell are you saying?" She said in a low voice.

"I'm saying that you've finally succeeded in locking out everyone who gave a damn about you. You think you're so strong that you have the right to do whatever the hell you want, but I won't let you do something so idiotic."

Anger flashed once more in Rei's eyes and before Yu or Okoru could react she had grabbed Yu and held her by the collar of her shirt. Yu just looked at her seriously with all humor gone from her face.

"Stay out of my business." Rei growled.

"Or what, you're going to kill me? My, what a lovely little killer you turned out to be." The girl said calmly.

Rei's eyes widened and she released the girl and took a few steps back. She looked down at the floor wondering what had gotten into her. She had never acted like that with her friends no matter how much they annoyed her, But even so she knew Yu had crossed the line.

"That's right, I'm a killer. I killed my own mother and now I'm after one of the people I cared for the most, but everything I did and all the people I hurt are always in my mind. I don't want to see other people get hurt because I couldn't save the person I cared for the most and I don't want to live with the pain of knowing I didn't do anything."

Yu stared at her and scowled.

"You've always thought you were strong, but you're really weak if you let your emotions get to you so much. You've always told people not to choose the path of revenge, but now you're willing to give your life for it. Maybe it's time you took your own advice and gave up on vengeance." She said coldly.

"I know that, but it doesn't matter to me if I die now. All I want is to keep Sasuke and Orochimaru from causing any harm. I just can't keep living like this."

"Then don't."

Rei looked at Okoru who had suddenly spoken.

"You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't! Stop carrying everyone's problems on your shoulders!" He snapped.

"I can't!"

Okoru gave her a saddened look.

"Why can't you just stop looking back? You used to tell us to never look back at our past and to just walk forward with our head held high. Why can't you do that?"

"Because my sins are too many to forget. I always told you that because I never wanted to see you become like me. I want you to be able to live a life without regrets and be able to look at yourself and feel proud. I can't do that anymore."

Okoru looked at his friend with sadness. Rei sighed and looked up at her friends.

"I'm sorry, but I have to do this, if not for myself, then for the people I care about."

Yu scowled at Rei.

"Just do whatever the hell you want." She said turning to leave.

Rei and Okoru watched as she left. The girl sat back down while Okoru just stood there thinking of what had just happened. He sighed and looked at Rei.

"You know I've always supported you no matter what, but it's different this time. I can't do that when you're risking so much, but I won't stand in your way. I just hope that you think things through."

He walked away and Rei was left alone to think. She knew her friends were right and she should give up on revenge, but she couldn't allow Sasuke to hurt anyone. She sighed and walked off to her room to get some rest as she would be leaving Kirigakure the next day. It was good to see her friends, but staying with them would only cause them trouble.

The day went by quickly and Rei was glad that she got to spend some time with Zakyo. The only regret she had was not having been able to train with her like she wanted to. Troughout the day Okoru had remained close to them watching as Rei and Zakyo talked and laughed together. He smiled as he heard the girls talking, but Rei could see the sadness hidden behind his smile. He didn't tell Zakyo about their conversation from earlier and Rei was thankful for that.

They had dinner together and talked for a while before heading to bed. Zakyo went off to her room happily unknowing of Rei's decision to depart the next day. As she made her way to her bedroom Rei found Okoru standing at the door. She sighed and walked up to him as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed across his chest.

"Shouldn't you be in your room?" She asked.

"I just thought I'd come and say goodbye since you're leaving tomorrow."

Rei smiled a bit at hearing that he was aware of her plan.

"I hate it when you spoil my surprises." She said.

"Yeah, well, this is one surprise Zakyo won't like." He said with a frown.

Rei sighed.

"I know that, but it's better this way, besides, she should be used to this kind of thing from me by now."

Okoru just shook his head at his friend.

"I guess so but it wouldn't kill you to say goodbye you brat."

Rei laughed a bit.

"Maybe next time."

"If there is a next time." He said quietly.

Rei frowned as the boy looked at her with concern.

"Don't worry, I'll try to stay alive so you lecture me to death when I come back."

She was relieved to see a small smile grace his face.

"I hope that's a promise you're willing to keep."

"Of course I am you moron. Don't worry so much about me. You're right and so is Yu, what I'm doing is stupid, but then again, you always said I was an idiot."

"Yeah, but I never expected you to prove me right." He said with a smirk.

Rei chuckled.

"I guess not, but I'll prove that even though I'm an idiot, I'm not so stupid as to die after getting strong enough to beat Sasuke and the snake bastard."

"I hope so."

Rei smiled and hugged her friend tightly. She felt his arms wrap around her as he pulled her close to him.

"I promise I'll come back." She said.

"Just stay safe."

He let her go and walked off before she could say anything else. She knew that when morning came he wouldn't be around to see her off.

* * *

The day she left Kirigakure the sky shone brightly above her as the people bustled about on their business. She looked back only once as she left early in the morning. Once she was out of the village she sighed in relief and removed her headband to replace it with the one from Konoha. It had never felt right for her to carry the symbol of her old village as she held no attachments to it.

She walked for a while before stopping to eat some food Okoru had given her. The leaves on the tree she was leaning against rustled softly as the wind swept through them. It was a rare moment of peace the likes of which she hadn't experienced in a while. However, it was promptly disrupted by the boisterous sound of a group of people drawing near. She looked up and scowled as she saw a group of shinobi she recognized from Kirigakure. There was a man with short hair with a dark green hue. His eyes were a clear brown color obscured by his hair which hung loosely around his face and over his brow. He was accompanied by two other men, one with brown hair and brown eyes with a short sword on his back and a taller one with unruly purple hair and dark green eyes which held a look of arrogance.

They stopped when they saw the girl sitting by the road. Her Konoha headband glinted in the sun catching their attention. The green haired man looked at his companions.

"It's a Konoha brat."

He turned to Rei and smirked.

"What's a brat like you doing alone so close to Kirigakure?"

"That's none of your concern you nosy idiot."

The man's eye twitched in annoyance.

"That's an awfully big mouth for such a small brat." The brown haired man said behind his companion.

"She just needs to be taught some manners." Said the man with the purple hair.

Rei stood up and took out a kunai sensing the hostile chakra surrounding the men. They laughed a bit at the girl before them.

"Looks like she wants to fight." Said the brunette.

"Fine by me." The green haired once said with a laugh.

He ran towards Rei and tried to punch her, but she blocked and slashed at him with her kunai. He drew back and threw some shuriken at her which she easily deflected. However, they proved to be nothing more than a distraction as one of the other men appeared behind her and kicked her back. She winced at the pain from the strong kick, but stood up quickly and dodged to the side as the brown haired man attacked her with his sword. She received a cut on her arm but managed to get far enough to catch her breath.

The purple haired man hurried to where she was and began to deal several blows which she dodged and blocked with some difficulty due to her injured arm. She sensed someone behind her and dodged to the side as another attack with the short sword was dealt. She jumped back quickly as the green haired man threw some more kunai but was kicked back into a tree by the man with the purple hair.

Rei glared up at the men as they laughed. The green haired man turned to the man with the short sword.

"Keiji, you can finish her off."

The man smirked as he walked towards her with his sword held at the ready. Rei tried to stand up, but a dull pain on her side prevented her from doing so. She cursed as she realized the last kick had probably cracked a rib. All she could do was watch as the man raised his sword. She closed her eyes and waited for the blow, but only heard the sound of metal hitting metal.

Her eyes snapped open and she saw the man's sword flying off and a kunai falling to the ground before her.

"You shouldn't mess with a kid, especially when it's three on one." Came a calm, deep voice.

Rei looked to the side and saw a tall man with unruly black hair that shone brightly in the sun. It curled around his face and swayed softly in the breeze as he stood there watching the scene before him. His eyes were of a bright gold and held a calm and aloof expression as they shone contrasting sharply with the dark hair hanging above them. She was surprised when she noticed that he didn't seem to be a ninja. He wore a black haori with a yellow obi and black pants. No weapons or headbands were within her sight.

The men that had attacked her glared at him, but he was unfazed.

"Mind your own damn business." Snapped one of the men.

He charged at the golden eyed stranger, moving with great speed, but he only stepped to the side and tripped the man. Rei was surprised to see him move so quickly as were the other men watching. The purple haired man stood up and took out a kunai. He charged at the man once more, but his attack was deflected with a small wave. The black haired man punched him in the stomach and sent him flying back towards his comrades.

The men looked down at their unconscious friend and then back up at the man who sent them a menacing look. They quickly picked up the fallen man and hurried off down the road. The man watched them leave and then turned to the girl he had helped.

"Are you alright kid?" He asked as he walked towards her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said quietly.

She was disappointed in herself for having had to be saved by a stranger. Her weakness was something that wasn't easy for her to accept.

The man looked at her and frowned at the sight of the various injuries she had. He watched as the girl tried to stand only to fall back down with a pained expression. He sighed and kneeled before her with his back to her. She looked at him in surprise and he just gave her a calm look aver his shoulder.

"Come on, I'll take you to the next town and get you fixed up."

She hesitated for a moment but sighed and slowly climbed onto his back with his help. He stood up and held her legs to keep her from falling. He began to walk slowly down the road with the girl on his back.

"What's your name kid?"

"Rei."

"Good, call me Jin." He said.

"Jin…" Rei mumbled as she rested her head on his back.

Even though she had just met the man she felt like she could trust him, after all he had saved her life. But it was more than that. He gave off a feeling of honesty and righteousness that reminded her of her own father. She sensed great strength in the man. After a while she fell asleep, tired from her travels and from the fight with the three shinobi. The last thoughts she had were of what her new acquaintance would bring to her life.

_**End Chapter Fifty-Eight**_

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**Hope you guys liked this chapter and please review if you have a chance. This time there's no cookies, but I do have ice cream. XD**


	59. Chapter 59

**Hello guys! Hope you like this chapter and please review if you have the chance. Thanks to Tateno Atsukino, Narutoske, valinor, kairiuchiha2, Bakagirl101, Eterna1, zakuro93, Lighting Wings, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, The Memories of Old and honeybee for reading and reviewing. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the lovely Rei, Jin, and my other OCs.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty-Nine**

Rei opened her eyes slowly and was somewhat surprised to find that she was in an unfamiliar room. She sat up slowly and winced a bit at the pain on her side. As she looked around she couldn't help to be thankful that the curtains were drawn, blocking out the light from the sun. With a sigh, she sat up slowly, wincing from the pain although she had had worst injuries. She stopped when the door opened slowly to reveal the man who had helped her the previous day. He looked at her for a moment before closing the door.

"You shouldn't move around too much kid, you cracked a rib." He said as he sat down at a small table.

"I'm fine, thanks for helping me." She said quietly.

She was still upset about having had to be aided by a stranger. The ease with which he had defeated the men bothered her since he showed no signs of being a shinobi.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"We're in a small town a few miles from where I found you."

He turned to look at the girl as she sat on her bed.

"You're a Genin from Konoha right?"

She nodded.

"What are you doing so far from your village on your own?"

"I'm training."

The man looked at her closely and sighed.

"Getting killed won't help you get stronger." He said.

Rei frowned at him.

"I would have been fine on my own, you didn't have to help."

She was getting tired of the man treating her like a little kid. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner. The girl's response to his comment had surprised him. She looked away with a frown.

"Well, either way, you'll have to rest for a bit before you can travel."

Rei sighed knowing he was right. Then it occurred to her that she didn't know who the guy was.

"Excuse me but, who are you?" She asked awkwardly.

"Well, I'm just a wanderer by the name of Jin."

"Right, I know your name, but I guess what I really wanted to know was if you're a shinobi."

The man looked at her for a moment before answering.

"No, I'm not a ninja. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just that the way in which you moved when you fought that guy. He was very fast, but you moved even faster than that without any problem. How is it possible for someone who isn't a shinobi to move like that?"

The man seemed to think about it for a moment. Rei waited patiently for him to answer.

"It's a long story, and a boring one, I doubt you'd want to hear it." He said dismissively.

The girl frowned and watched as he smirked.

"I see, you want to know how someone can get so strong without real ninja training."

Rei looked away, annoyed at having her real motives found out. The man chuckled.

"Alright, I guess I can tell you."

Rei didn't miss the amusement in his voice, but she pushed back her annoyance and paid attention to what he said.

"When I was a kid I met a shinobi who showed me a few tricks. I just learned enough to protect myself." He said calmly.

Rei waited for more but apparently that was all he was going to tell her.

"Is that it?" She asked bluntly.

The man smirked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I thought you said it was a long and complicated story."

"I simplified it a little." He said with a small shrug.

Rei slumped forward, apparently this guy liked to annoy her. He reminded her of Sasuke, but she dismissed that thought and looked back up at the man who was now preparing some tea.

"So why are you training so far from your village?" He said without looking at her.

Rei wondered how much she should tell him about the purpose of her journey. She grinned as she decided to 'simplify' things.

"I just want to beat someone."

Jin stopped and turned to her with a small frown.

"You mean you're out for revenge. Aren't you a little young to think that way?"

He watched as the girl looked at him with surprise before frowning.

"You could say that, but age has nothing to do with that sort of decision especially for shinobi."

"You're wrong, someone as young as you wouldn't know much about revenge no matter what they have been trough, but for someone like me who has seen many things revenge is something that should never cross anyone's mind."

Rei sat on the bed and looked at the man carefully. For a moment, while he spoke, she sensed a sort of sadness emanating from the man. It was strange how quickly his attitude changed only to go back to normal a moment later.

"But putting that aside, if you keep traveling on your own like this you're going to keep running into troublesome men like the ones from yesterday."

"And what do you suggest I do? Go back to Konoha?"

"I can see you're too stubborn to do that." He said as he sat back down with a cup of tea.

"But, if you really want to keep traveling, at least rest for a bit."

Rei thought about it for a moment and realized that, as annoying as it was for a stranger to tell her to stay inside wasting her time, Jin was right. She needed to rest before she could get back on the road, especially since she was injured. Jin watched as the girl sighed and looked up at him.

"Fine, I'll rest for a while."

Jin smirked a bit glad to hear that the girl had taken his advice. At least now he wouldn't have to worry about her worsening her injuries. Rei on the other hand was a bit apprehensive about having to stay with someone she had just met. Still, she knew Jin wasn't so bad, even though she had just met him she could tell that he was a good guy.

* * *

Two days had passed since Rei had woken up in the room Jin had gotten for them at the inn and it was safe to say that she was bored to the brink of insanity. She sighed as she laid back in bed and looked out the open window.

Jin had gone out again by the time she was awake. He had left some food for her and would return in a while with lunch, just like the previous day. She still didn't know where he went, but she wasn't going to meddle in his affairs, besides, she would leave soon to continue her training. Jin was still trying to convince her to go back to Konoha, but she could tell that he was starting to realize how hopeless it was.

She grinned a bit at the thought of him as he gave up and contented himself with some tea. Annoying him was one thing she looked forward to. As she thought of this she got out of bed and stretched a bit. She winced as she heard her bones crack and felt a few joints pop.

"Must be getting old." She mumbled jokingly.

After a bit more stretching she got ready to go out for a while. Her Konoha headband was left on the bedside table along with her weapons. She didn't want to call attention to herself. Another thing she didn't want to do was run into Jin. For some reason he seemed to dote over her like an over protective mother, or more like Okoru, as she liked to think.

It was at times like those in which she was glad she wasn't too bad at sensing other's chakra. She would just have to be careful and make sure to return before Jin. With that last thought, she hurried out of the room and the inn, altogether.

A small smile appeared on her face as she looked around and felt the wind hitting her face. It had been a while since she had been outside. Rei began to walk off in the direction of the town's outskirts to see if she could exercise a bit. Soon she reached the woods surrounding the town and began to work a bit on her taijutsu.

* * *

Jin stopped at the door to the room in which he was staying. He frowned as he sensed no chakra from inside it. He opened the door and saw that the room was empty. With a sigh he closed the door and began to head back outside to look for Rei. Jin looked around at the different shops but knew the girl wouldn't be there.

After walking for a while he arrived at the outskirts of the town. He smirked as he heard the faint sound of something being hit with a fair amount of force. Jin walked quietly to where the sound was being produced and stopped once he was able to see a certain blond practicing with a clone. He watched for a few minutes while standing in the shadow of a tree.

By the force behind the attacks he could tell that the girl was very strong, but she was also a bit slow, or so he thought. He picked up a few small stones and threw them at the girl. Rei felt a sudden spike in chakra around her and jumped back when she saw the stones heading her way. She dodged them, but got a small scratch on her leg.

"You're pretty slow for a ninja."

Jin stepped out from the shadows with a smirk. Rei couldn't help but glare at him with a fair amount of annoyance.

"I told you to stay at the inn."

"I was bored." She whined.

Jin just sighed and shook his head.

"Well, at least I found out why you need to train so badly. You're not a very good shinobi." He said jokingly.

Rei gave him a playful glare knowing he didn't really mean what he said.

"I'll have you know I'm a very good ninja."

"I bet you couldn't even punch me." He said smugly.

"What!? Of course I could! What kinds of shinobi would I be if I couldn't?"

"Well, since you're so sure of yourself why don't you try it? I won't fight back and all you have to do is hit me once."

Rei looked at him suspiciously. She doubted he would be able to dodge all of her attacks.

"How long do I have to hit you?"

"Until you're tired or you give up."

"Fine, then let's go."

Rei got into a fighting position and Jin just sighed and smirked a bit.

"Come on then."

At those words Rei hurried towards him. She threw a punch aimed at his side, but he just moved to the side. Rei turned and tried to kick him, but Jin just jumped back and then dodged to the side again as Rei threw another kick. He grabbed her arm after dodging another attack and threw her to the side. She spun in the air and regained her composure, but she was still surprised at how fast and smooth his movements were.

"Is that all?" He asked with a yawn.

Rei felt her eye twitching in annoyance. She concentrated her chakra on her feet and disappeared in a blur. Jin seemed unfazed as he blocked her hits with ease. He made simple movements, but seemed to anticipate the girl's attacks. Every time she spun in the air, kicked him, or tried to attack him at high speed he would just move to the side as if he was avoiding a fly.

After a while Rei became irritated by the ease with which he avoided her attacks. She began to get sloppy and her movements were slow and clumsy. Jin noticed this and frowned a bit. He moved to her side as she tried to punch him and tripped her. The girl fell and glared at the man as he stood over her. Jin sighed and sat next to her as she laid on the ground panting.

"That's enough for now." He said.

"No, I know I can hit you." She argued.

Jin gave her a stern look.

"It's fine, I didn't expect you to actually hit me, especially since your ribs are still bothering you."

Rei scowled knowing he was right, her side had started to hurt a bit after moving so much. She sighed and let herself fall back onto the lush grass on her back. She stared up at the blue sky and frowned.

"Why can't I hit you?" She said quietly.

Jin smiled a bit as he looked at her.

"Because you're too young to be so strong and even then you're pretty good." He said with some humor.

"But you're not a shinobi, even though I'm still a Genin I should have had the upper hand."

"You're right, with your strength and experience you should have beaten me, but you're still slow. You let your feelings get in the way of your attacks."

"No I don't."

Jin chuckled.

"See? You're still arguing."

Rei shot him a playful glare and he smiled and looked out at the forest ahead of him.

"While you tried to hit me you became agitated by your failure. Your emotions got in your way and made your movements clumsy while also diminishing your speed. Because of that, even though you focused your chakra to augment your speed and strength you failed. If you continue to fight like that you'll never reach your full potential." He said seriously.

Rei looked at him with some withheld surprise. Jin sighed and stood up dusting himself off as he did so. He looked down at the girl and held out his hand.

"Come on, let's get something to eat."

Rei took his hand and stood up.

"How come you know so much about shinobi and chakra and all of that stuff?"

"Well, it's like I said, a long time ago I ran into a shinobi who showed me some things. He helped me become strong when I needed to. It's thanks to him that I'm still here."

Rei thought about this and then stopped. She looked up at Jin with a smile that surprised the man.

"Hey, do you think you could teach me to be as strong as you?"

Jin looked at the girl with surprise. He certainly hadn't expected her to ask him for help.

"I can show you how to become quicker on your feet and how to concentrate more on your attacks, but it would take a while."

Rei thought about it and then grinned.

"It's okay, right now I'm a wanderer kind of like you so I can just follow you around if it means that I can get stronger." She said brightly.

Jin felt his eye twitching at her words.

"Forget it, I'm not traveling with a kid."

"Hey! I'm not a kid!" She said indignantly.

"Oh really? How old are you?"

Rei felt her eye twitching as he smirked.

"Point made."

"It's not my fault you're some decrepit old man!"

"What did you say little girl?"

"Just let me travel with you for a while I won't get in the way."

Jin sighed and looked at the girl as she stared at him with pleading eyes.

"Fine, but if you get into trouble I'm sending you to Konoha."

Rei ignored the last part and grinned up at Jin.

"Alright then! Let's go get some lunch Jin-sensei!"

"Don't call me sensei it makes me sound old."

"But you _are _old. What are you thirty?"

"I'm twenty-four!"

"Wow, you're twice my age! You're ancient!" She said mockingly as she walked off towards a nearby restaurant.

Jin's eye twitched as he gritted his teeth. He cursed himself for what he had just done, but resigned himself to having to travel with the girl for a while. He dug his hands in his pockets as he walked off after the girl and he couldn't help but smile as she waved him over from the counter. Something told him that his trip had just gotten a bit more interesting.

_**End Chapter Fifty-Nine**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and please review if you have the chance. I love reviews and I love you guys for reading. **


	60. Chapter 60

**Hello guys! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to Bakagirl101, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, kairiuchiha2, Valinor's Twilight, 2lazy2comeupwith1, Lighting Wings, Tateno Atsukino, deidara.queen, zakuro93, unknown player, Eterna1, Avonda, and The Memories of Old for reading and reviewing. Please review if you have the chance. Now on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the lovely Rei and her new sensei Jin. **

* * *

**Chapter Sixty**

Sasuke walked down the dark halls of Orochimaru's lair and entered his room. He laid on a bed in the back of the room, looking up at the ceiling although nothing was visible in the darkness. He had just returned from training with Orochimaru. The snake had to leave to take care of some business, or so he said. Sasuke was more than a bit annoyed as he wanted to keep training.

Ever since he had arrived he had trained as often as he could, not wanting to waste his time. He had gotten somewhat stronger, but he still wasn't satisfied. He knew that in his current condition he wouldn't be able to defeat Itachi. Apart from his desire to kill his brother, he also wanted to get rid of Orochimaru and leave so he trained as much as he could. Sasuke was aware of Orochimaru's plans and he knew that the snake wanted his power.

Still, he knew not to worry as he was confident that he would be able to defeat him, especially since he seemed to be getting weaker. Sasuke really wasn't too worried about Orochimaru, but there was one thing that worried him ever since he left. He was still thinking of Rei and of what had happened after he left. She had been badly injured and he had just left her there.

It was true that he felt bad after he left, but he knew that he had to leave. Rei had known that he would leave someday, he was sure of that, but he always knew it would be hard. It had been hard for him to leave and he was sure that it had been hard for Rei. It would be a while until he saw her again, but he just hoped that she would forgive him even though a part of him told him that he was hoping for too much.

He sighed as he turned on his side and closed his eyes in an attempt to get some rest, determined to forget about Rei at least for a while.

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"For the last time before I throw you off this God forsaken cliff no!" Jin screamed as he walked ahead of Rei on a narrow path at the side of a mountain.

Rei smirked fully enjoying herself as she annoyed her new master. Of course she wasn't just doing it out of fun she was also doing it as a bit of revenge. Jin had insisted that they take a shortcut to the next town, but they had just gotten lost since Jin couldn't remember the way. That was why they were now walking down a precarious path that crumbled with every step on what seemed like the longest day of their lives. The sun didn't seem to move, but it felt like they had been walking for hours. Rei sighed and looked up at the man walking ahead of her.

"Jin-sensei."

"Don't call me that _kid._" Jin emphasized the work kid knowing the girl hated it.

He could sense her glaring at him and smirked.

"Do you have any idea of where we are?"

"Of course I do, we should be about to arrive at the next town."

"You said that hours ago."

"That was just to get you to shut up, not that it worked."

Jin stopped and looked up at the sky. Rei could hear him sigh before he looked at her with a smirk.

"You know, now that I think about it this is a perfect time to train."

Rei gave him a questioning look. She didn't really like the way he was smirking.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked suspiciously.

"It's going to rain soon and we need to get out of here before that happens so I propose a little race."

Rei's eye twitched as she looked at Jin.

"Did I annoy you so much that you actually went insane?" She asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"How the hell are we going to race if we don't know where we are? Besides, the ground is unstable."

"Oh come on, what's the worst that can happen?"

"We can fall and die!"

Jin rolled his eyes.

"You sound like an old woman. Really, how do you expect to learn without taking a few risks?"

"This isn't a risk, it's suicide and what can I possibly learn from this?" Rei said with a frown.

"If you want to beat me you'll have to concentrate your chakra on your feet, but if you're not careful you'll apply too much and the ground will give out under you. It'll start to rain soon so you'll have to adjust your chakra constantly as the composition of the ground changes due to the water. That should teach you something about chakra control. Besides, you're a shinobi, you should thrive on risks." He said with his smirk still in place.

Rei continued to glare at him and Jin sighed.

"Come on, it'll be good training. Besides, if you beat me I'll show you a new jutsu."

Rei sighed and slumped forward.

"Fine." She said grudgingly.

"Great, the first one to reach the gates of the village wins."

Jin turned to leave, but Rei grabbed his sleeve.

"Hold on, which way is the village?"

"Just follow the path, it'll take you to the village…eventually."

"Huh? Wait. What do you mean eventually!?"

Before Rei could stop him Jin was gone. She groaned and hurried off after him. She ran as fast as she could by focusing her chakra on her feet, but it was difficult to keep the ground from breaking under her. A drop of water hit her face and she frowned up at the sky.

"Damn it." She muttered.

She knew it would be harder to run once the ground was wet. With a sigh she began to run again wondering why she ever asked Jin to be her teacher. She was snapped out of her thoughts as the ground gave away beneath her right foot and she slipped. She managed to grab onto the edge which miraculously didn't break off. After pulling herself up she realized that the rain had gotten worst.

Without wasting more time she stood up and continued on her way. She had to constantly dodge and jump as the ground broke beneath her. Even with all the annoyances she had to admit that this was definitely testing her reflexes. Rei couldn't help but be grateful when she finally made it out of that mountain. Jin would soon receive a few complaints about his brilliant idea to take a shortcut.

After a while she finally reached the village gates and couldn't help but glare at Jin as he sat beneath the cover of a tea shop. He smirked as she neared him. By that time she was soaked and dirty.

"Looks like you didn't have a nice trip." He said as he sipped his tea.

"How the hell did you make it here so fast?" She said in a dangerous tone.

"Same way you did I presume, but I suppose my chakra control is better than yours."

Rei's eye twitched as she watched him holding in his laughter.

"So how many times did you fall down that cliff?" He asked.

Rei glared at Jin as he laughed at the look of indignation that crossed her face.

"Oh, come on kid, it was a joke."

"I hate you." She mumbled as she sat next to him.

"Sure you do now come on, let's get you dried up. I got us a room at a nearby inn."

They walked to the inn and as they made their way to their room Rei remembered his previous offer.

"Hey, were you serious about teaching me a new jutsu if I won?" She asked.

"I was half serious."

"What do you mean?" She said with a curious look.

"There's a jutsu I want to show you, I was serious about that. However, telling you that I would only show it to you if you won the race was just to motivate you."

"So you're gonna teach me a new jutsu anyway?"

Jin nodded with a smile as Rei looked at him with a wide smile.

"When are you gonna teach me?"

"Maybe tomorrow, if the weather improves, we should rest for a while anyways. I'll get some food, so go get changed." He said before leaving.

Rei couldn't help but grin as she made her way to the bathroom with some dry clothes. She was definitely looking forward to the next day.

* * *

"Get up you lazy brat."

Rei groaned as she heard the familiar drawl that was Jin's voice and felt a sharp prodding on her back.

"Fine don't get up, I'll just go out into the town and you can train on your own."

Rei could actually _hear_ him smirking. She sat up and saw her smirking teacher standing by her bed.

"Good, you're up. Now get ready or I'll leave you, we have a lot of work to do."

Rei sent him a slight glare and then got ready to head out. She stepped out of the inn fully dressed, but still half asleep. Jin shook his head a bit as he watched the pathetic display of his student tripping on a rock and stumbling.

"And you call yourself a ninja."

"Shut it you second rate sensei." Rei grumbled as she shielded her eyes from the bright light of the sun.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a bad teacher and you're a lazy brat. Come on it's getting late."

Rei followed Jin trough town and after some quick breakfast they went to a grassy hill. He sat down and sighed as the wind blew through his hair. Rei sat down and then laid back on the cool grass.

"So what are we doing today?" She asked.

"Well, I told you I would train you so today will be your first lesson."

Rei opened an eye and looked over at Jin with some interest.

"Today I'll teach you something that will make you both stronger and faster. It'll help you manage your chakra and make better decisions as a shinobi."

Rei sat up and looked at him wondering what he would teach her.

"I'm going to teach you to stop being such a hot headed brat." He said with a smirk.

Rei stared at him in disbelief.

"What the hell?"

"I see I'll have to elaborate. If you learn to control your temper you will be able to focus more on the jutsu you use and the mission ahead."

Rei looked at him with an expression that told him she wasn't convinced.

"I thought you were going to teach me a new jutsu."

"I will, but first I have to make sure you can handle the basics a bit better."

Rei groaned and let herself fall back onto the grass.

"Come on, there's no time to waste, I want to get this over with." Jin said.

Rei looked at him and frowned.

"And what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, it would help if you stood up."

The girl sighed and stood up before Jin.

"Alright, I told you before that you tend to lose your temper while you fight. You need to stay calm no matter who your opponent is or what situation you're in. Letting your feelings be seen by the enemy is bad for the mission and for your own control. So we're going to have a little sparring session. Plus, this way I'll get to see what else we need to work on."

"A sparring session? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I need to see how strong you are so don't hold back."

Rei sighed, but nodded as she stood in a fighting position.

"Okay, go ahead and attack me." Jin instructed.

Rei focused her chakra on her feet knowing she would need to be quick and dashed towards Jin. He watched as the girl moved with great speed, but he could still tell where she was. He ducked as she sent a high kick his way and grabbed her by her waist. He tossed her back onto the ground where she landed with a dull 'thud' on her back. Rei groaned as she sat up and glared at the man standing before her.

"How the hell did you do that?"

"You're fast, but you get too stressed about your attacks and about defeating the enemy. Your chakra tenses up and your movements become sloppy and loud. A shinobi should never be sloppy or loud."

"Then what do you suggest _sensei_?" She said with disdain.

"I suggest you cool down. I see that failing really gets to you doesn't it _kid_?"

Rei glared at him for a moment before looking away.

"That's because failing means someone has to get hurt because of me." She muttered.

Jin looked at her as she sat on the ground and his eyes reflected a hint of sadness that he only allowed to show when the girl's gaze was away.

"If I fail, if I'm too weak then that means that the people that I want to protect will get hurt. That's why I need to get stronger."

"Yeah, and that's why you need to control that temper of yours. One bad decision made by your heart instead of your head can hurt those you care about."

Rei sighed and stood up.

"Fine, let's keep training."

Jin nodded and she walked back and got ready to attack.

"Alright, this time I'll attack you. Try to block or dodge and if you can hit me then do so."

Rei nodded and he smirked as he disappeared from her line of view. She couldn't sense him and he couldn't hear him. She concentrated and then turned around as she caught a hint of his chakra in that direction, but she was thrown back as he punched her on her stomach.

"I see we also have to work on your chakra sensing skills."

He walked over to the girl and sat down next to her.

"Listen, when you have an enemy that is too fast to be seen then you have to try to listen for his movements or try to sense his chakra. It can be hard depending on your situation, but you have to focus and concentrate on your surroundings. You have to sharpen your reflexes as well and learn to think quickly to react to the situation in the best way possible."

"I know that, those are the basics for all shinobi. Sense chakra, concentrate on the surroundings and think quickly to react to the situation effectively."

"If they're so basic then how is it that you fail miserably."

She glared at him and he chuckled.

"Hey don't worry, it took me a while to get it too and I had to get my ass kicked a lot of times for me to understand it."

"But I don't have time."

"I know that, that's why I'll have to work hard and kick your ass as much as my master kicked mine in about half the time." He said with a grin.

Rei smiled a bit as they stood and got ready to continue. Jin got ready to attack her again and Rei prepared to defend herself.

"Ready?" He asked.

She nodded and he dashed towards her once again.

* * *

The sun was setting and Rei was laying on the ground. Panting while Jin sat by her looking out into the distance. The training had been exhausting as they had worked nonstop for the whole day. Jin had attacked her several times without holding back, or so he said. He managed to get her most of the times, but by the end of the day she had started to get the hang of things. She could sense his chakra better and dodging his attacks wasn't as hard anymore. She had also managed to scratch him up a bit and she had to admit that even though she was exhausted she felt like she had gotten stronger.

"Hey kid, you ready to get something to eat?"

Rei didn't look at him as he spoke she was too tired to do even that.

"Can we just rest here a bit more?"

"Sure." He said with a small smile.

They stayed there without speaking for a while and then Rei remembered that she wanted to ask him something. They had been traveling together for a few days and he had proven to be a nice guy, but she still didn't know anything about him.

"Hey, Jin."

"I'm not carrying you." He said in a bored tone.

"That's not it you old man! I want to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"You told me that you met a shinobi who taught you some tricks, but I want to know how you got so strong. Who was he and how did you two meet?"

Jin sighed and seemed to think about his response for a moment.

"I'll tell you, but then you gotta tell me about why you're so obsessed about getting stronger."

He watched as the girl frowned a bit. He knew she was thinking about it. He smirked knowing she probably wouldn't accept his offer.

"Fine." She said.

He blinked a few times in surprise. Rei turned to him with a smirk.

"What, you thought I would pass the chance of finding out why you're such a weirdo?"

Jin felt his eye twitch, but refrained from smacking the girl only because she was already pretty beaten up.

"Alright you brat, listen up. When I was a kid, even younger than you my parents died. I lived in a small village near the border of the Land of Fire and I managed to make a living doing odd jobs for the farmers nearby. I was pretty good at that sort of stuff, but I always wanted to be a shinobi. I used to watch the shinobi from Konoha pass through the town and I remember thinking that maybe if I worked hard enough I would be able to become as strong as them. Of course I was just a young brat back then and I was too stupid to know that I could never become a shinobi, but then again maybe I wasn't just stupid." He said trailing off.

He sighed a bit before continuing.

"I guess I was a bit like you, I also wanted to be stronger for revenge. My parents were killed by some bandits when they ravaged the town. They had gotten away and every now and then I would hear stories about their latest attack on a town from travelers passing by. I lived my life hating them every single day."

Rei had to admit that he did sound like her. It sounded like he knew what it was like to hate someone like she hated Orochimaru and to some extent Sasuke.

"One night, while I walked back home from a nearby farm I ran into a man."

Jin remembered that night clearly even though many years had passed since then.

_A young boy with messy black hair and bright eyes the color of gold walked down an empty road. The only light came from the light of the full moon which hovered above him in the black sky. He stopped when he heard a soft rustling coming from some bushes ahead of him. Even as he stood there and faced the empty road with a determined face fear gripped him and he was suddenly very conscious of how weak and alone he was._

_The rustling grew louder and slowly, the outline of a man formed in the light on the moon. He was tall and lean with dark green hair that fell to the sides of his face and was tied back in a long, thin ponytail. Jin couldn't see his face clearly due to the darkness that engulfed it, but he could see that he was dressed in what he knew was the clothing worn by Konoha's shinobi._

_The man was panting and holding his right arm. He turned to look at the boy standing a few feet away from him. The boy stood there looking at him evenly, but he could sense his fear._

"_Relax kid I'm not going to hurt you."He said in a strained voice._

_Jin looked at the man for a moment before approaching him. He was hesitant at first, but the man was hurt and he didn't seem to be a bad guy. Once he was closer the man turned to look at him and Jin could see his ice blue eyes shining beneath his Konoha headband._

"_D-do you need help?" He asked nervously._

_The man looked at the boy carefully and then back at the forest from which he had emerged._

"_Yeah, alright kid."_

_Jin helped him stand and led him to his house, which was thankfully not too far away. Jin closed the door of the small house and led the man to his bedroom. He helped the man heal his wounds and gave him some clean clothes to change into while he got some food for him. The boy watched as the man ate. He looked up from the food and into the boy's bright eyes. _

"_Thanks for the help kid, what's your name?"_

"_Jin."_

"_I'm Kazuo."_

_Jin was glad to at least know the man's name. Even though he was still apprehensive about letting the man stay in his home, he was a bit exited at having a shinobi in his home._

"_Kazuo-san." He said timidly._

"_Just call me Kazuo."_

"_Right, Kazuo, are you really a shinobi?" Jin asked._

_Kazuo stopped eating and sighed._

"_I was."_

_Jin didn't fully understand why he would say that and Kazuo could see the confusion on his face._

"_I used to live in Konoha as a Jounin, but I got tired of being a shinobi so I left. That's why I had to run away this far and in this condition."_

"_But, why would you want to stop being a shinobi?" Jin said a bit surprised._

_He couldn't understand why someone would want to stop being a ninja. Kazuo looked at him and then smirked._

"_I take it you want to be a ninja?"_

_Jin didn't say anything, instead opting to look away. Kazuo watched as the boy avoided his gaze._

"_Where are your parents?" He asked._

_Jin didn't look at him as he spoke._

"_They were killed by bandits."_

"_So you live on your own?"_

_Jin nodded._

"_That's why I want to be strong. I want to be a shinobi that can protect others from people like the bandits that killed my parents."_

_He heard his guest sigh and then stand up._

"_I'm going to bed, you should rest too. Tomorrow I'll teach you a few things you might be interested in."_

_Jin looked up as Kazuo walked off into the bedroom. _

"After that he began to train me everyday. He said that he wanted to make sure I could protect myself and the village. He was like a father to me since my own had died when I was still a child."

Rei noticed the fondness with which he described Kazuo. She was reluctant to ask her next question.

"What happened to him?" She said after a moment.

Jin sighed and looked out at the sun which would soon disappear into the vast horizon.

"He died when I was sixteen. We had lived together for eight years and he had never told me that he was ill. He always looked strong and happy even as he lay in bed." He said quietly.

"Is that why you left?" Rei asked quietly.

"Yeah."

They stayed quiet for a moment and then Jin stood up and turned to the girl next to him with a smile.

"Well, I think that's enough about the past for now. I'm starved, let's get some food."

Rei smiled and nodded as she was helped up. She stumbled a bit before being picked up by Jin.

"I thought you weren't going to carry me?" She said mockingly.

"I'll drop you." He warned with a smirk.

Rei smiled as she rode on Jin's back. Even if he annoyed her sometimes she knew that she was growing closer to her new teacher. Hearing about his past had made her realize that they were both more similar than she had thought. He had also lost people that were important to him and now he was alone, much like she was. But even if they had no family, they had been lucky enough to find each other and she was glad for that.

_**End Chapter Sixty**_

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**Hope you guys liked this chapter and please review if you have the chance. Shippuuden chapters will begin really soon, probably sometime in November if I get enough time to write so just hold on for a bit longer. **


	61. Chapter 61

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to EggrollPerson, Eterna1, zakuro93, Narutoske, Tateno Atsukino, Valinor's Twilight, Gravenimage, Mayan, and The Memories of Old for reading and reviewing. Please review if you have the chance. I have a little surprise for you guys. Now on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the lovely Rei and her evil and lazy sensei Jin. **

* * *

**Chapter Sixty-One**

The rain fell steadily outside. Rei watched as it hit the window and slid down the glass. The only sound in the dark room was made by the steady sound of the water beating on the window. The sun was going down, not that she could see it as the clouds covered the sky. She sighed as she was reminded of the day Sasuke left.

It had rained that day as well and she could picture him standing before her with a determined, but cold look in his eyes. She rid herself of those thoughts as she heard the door open. The lights were turned on as Jin entered the room.

"You do know the lights work, right?" he said with some amusement.

Rei glanced at him, but said nothing. Jin frowned slightly as he put the bag he was carrying on a table. His usually energetic student stood quietly in front of the window across the room looking out into the dark horizon. A look of concern flashed across his face as he watched her. The girl had been acting strangely for a while and he didn't blame her.

They had arrived in a small town near Kumogakure about a week ago. It had been raining for a few days now and training had been all but impossible during those days. While they were confined to the room they shared at an inn Jin had taken the chance to get to know his new student better. After all, they had been traveling together for a few months. Now he felt a twinge of regret for having prodded into her past.

Ever since he had met her he had sensed an air of melancholy surrounding her and now he understood why. He had been surprised to learn about her training with one of the Sannin and about her escape. He was equally stunned to learn about why she had left Konoha and who she was training so hard to defeat. Even after hearing those things what surprised him more was her ability to carry such a large burden on her shoulders.

She was a different person than the one she claimed to be. Even as she smiled and laughed after annoying the hell out of him there was a hidden sadness in her and it hurt him to see that. As kind and happy as she seemed there was a dark quality that was hidden from others. Now that he had expressed his opposition to her goal she no longer intended to hide that from him.

He sighed as he sat on a chair at the table.

"You should eat something, I brought some food."

Rei nodded, but didn't say anything. Jin frowned at her lack of response. He ignored her and began eating.

"When are we going to train?" She asked in the same quiet voice she had been using lately.

"When the weather gets better."

Rei finally turned around to face him.

"We're just wasting time, the weather doesn't matter to me." She complained.

Jin stopped eating and looked at her sternly.

"You need to ease up on training. You've been training nonstop all this time. If you keep it up you'll wear down your body."

"I'll be fine, I haven't learned anything in all this time. I need to get stronger before I return to Konoha." She argued.

"You were supposed to learn to control your emotions, but I see you're still a hotheaded brat." He said with a slight glare.

"How do you expect to get stronger if all you care about is revenge? You don't concentrate on what I teach you so how do you expect to get stronger? You asked for my help, but you don't listen to me and you don't respect me."

"How can I respect someone that just runs away from their past because they're too weak to deal with it?" She said scornfully.

Jin was taken aback by her statement. Before he could stop himself he drew back his hand and the sharp sound of it colliding with the girl's cheek reverberated in the room. Rei turned her head back to look at him and a stunned and awkward silence floated between them. He stood there looking as surprised as the girl before him. As he watched her puzzled and saddened expression he felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

She said nothing as she walked out the door and Jin just stood there looking at the ground as he thought of what he had just done. A second later he hurried out of the room and ran out into the rain. He looked around for his student, but couldn't see well in the pouring rain. Still, he knew he had to find her and apologize. He ran off, following the faint trail of her chakra.

* * *

Rei sighed as she leaned back against the tree behind her. She was wet, cold, and hungry, but she wouldn't go back to the inn, at least not anytime soon. She needed time to think. It had been a while since she had felt as alone as she did at that moment. Jin had always made her feel like she had someone to depend on, even if he was arrogant and immature. In a way, he was like family to her. Perhaps that was why it had hurt her so much to see him so upset with her.

Strangely enough she wasn't upset with him. To some extent she had deserved everything, but it was still hard to believe. Jin was right, she was stubborn and stupid. She didn't listen to his advice even though he wanted to help, but it was hard for her to listen when he asked her to take it easy. She didn't have a lot of time, he knew that, but he worried about her. It was all too confusing and she really didn't want to think about it anymore.

She heard someone approaching and looked up to see Jin standing before her. He was soaked and panting slightly as the rain slid down his messy black hair. His eyes shone brightly, but she could see the worry and regret in them. He looked at her as she gazed at him with surprise. There was a faint red mark on her cheek from where he had struck her and he felt another pang of guilt

"I'm sorry." He said without hesitation.

Rei furrowed her brow and Jin kneeled before her.

"I know I haven't been a good teacher. You asked for my help and all I ever do is tell you to take it easy so I'm sorry and I'm sorry for being so harsh."

Rei looked at him with remorse.

"It's okay, I shouldn't have said those things too. I'm sorry."

She looked away from him not wanting to see his expression. A moment later she felt his arms wrap around her. Jin held her tightly as she struggled to comprehend what was happening.

"Just stop being such an idiot."

Rei smiled and slowly hugged him back. He pulled back after a moment and stood up.

"It wouldn't kill you to listen every once in a while." He said with a smirk.

"I'll try, but I can't guarantee anything." Rei responded.

They walked back to the inn and Rei felt a lot better. It was clear to her that Jin wasn't a bad guy, he worried about her. He cared about her and she also cared about him. She wouldn't go as far as to tell him that, but she would at least show him some respect from then on.

* * *

"Jin you damned old man! Why can't you do your job for once and teach me something?"

Rei glared at her surroundings as she looked for her teacher. He had, once again, run off before she woke up. She knew he was hiding somewhere outside of the small town they were in. For once she was glad about what her so called master had taught her. She smirked as she sensed his chakra nearby. She turned and threw a kunai in his direction.

Jin dodged the kunai and jumped down from the tree he was hiding in. He looked at his student through some bushes as he hid and was surprised when he saw a cloud of smoke where she had been a moment ago.

"Looking for someone?"

Jin turned around slowly and laughed nervously as Rei gave him a menacing look.

"There you are! I've been waiting for you." He said.

"You second rate sensei! You ran away again!"

"How can you say that? And here I thought that you respected your poor old teacher!" He said with fake indignation.

"I was merely testing your tracking skills."

Rei's eye twitched and she raised her fist and smacked him on the head. She took the chance and dragged her dazed teacher away. Once they were back at the inn Jin turned to her with some confusion as she picked up her things which were scattered on the bedside table.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing, why?"

"Usually you make me train you after you catch me." He said as he sat by the window.

"Yeah, well I figured you've taught me enough for now." She said.

She turned to him with a wide grin.

"You've really lost track of the time haven't you old man?"

Jin gave her a puzzled look.

"It's been two and a half years. I think it's about time to go back to Konoha."

Jin raised a brow as he looked at his student.

"Has it really been that long? It's hard to tell since you haven't grown an inch and you're just as annoying as the day I met you." He said with a smirk.

"That's weird, I though you knew by the number of new wrinkles on your face. Besides, every morning when you wake up and stretch something new cracks. You're becoming a brittle old man." She said with a sneer.

Jin gave the girl a mock glare and she laughed.

"Guess I won this round." She said with much amusement.

"If you say so." He said as he looked away, hiding his look of defeat.

"So, when are we leaving?"

"We?" She asked.

"Yeah, I thought I would go with you. I always wanted to visit my master's old home, I just never got around to it."

Rei smiled at him.

"Fine, but I have to send a message to the Hokage. I don't want to take her by surprise, besides, I have to talk to her when I get back." She said.

She wrote a quick note and rolled it up. Jin watched as she made some hand signs and a falcon appeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Take this message to Konoha's Hokage." She said as she attached the note to the bird's leg.

She walked to the window as Jin opened it and released the bird.

"You've gotten better at that." Jin commented.

"I practiced." Rei said smugly.

He smirked at his student's arrogance.

"We're leaving tomorrow morning." Rei said.

"So get some rest you old man."

"Whatever happened to respecting the elderly?" He said with a sigh.

Rei grinned as Jin let a small smile slip onto his face. She knew he was looking forward to going to Konoha.

* * *

The sun shone brightly as Rei and Jin made their way to Konoha. It was already late in the afternoon and they had been traveling from very early in the morning. Rei smiled as she walked alongside her master. She was happy to finally go back home, but she was also a bit nervous. It had been a while since she had seen her friends and she wondered if her training had paid off, at least in their eyes.

She was also thinking about Naruto. It had been a while since she had last seen him and she hoped that he was back in Konoha by now. She had no way of knowing if the hyperactive blond had finally returned with the pervy sage. She was curious to see how strong he had become under the tutelage of the Sannin. It wasn't just Naruto's progress she was curious about.

Before she left Konoha she had promised Sakura that she would fight her once she returned. Now she wondered how much Sakura's skills had improved during her training with the Hokage. She doubted that Tsunade had only taught her medical skills. Of course, she wasn't nervous about having to fight her old teammate. On the contrary, she was looking forward to showing her and the others that she had not wasted her time.

As lazy as Jin was he had proved to be a very good teacher. He had not only helped her get stronger and faster, but had also helped her master the skills that her father had left for her in his clan's scroll. It had been hard for him since he didn't know anything about her Kekkei Genkai, but he had proven to be very resourceful. At least he had made her aware of the flaws in her attacks from an enemy's point of view. All in all she was proud of what she had accomplished while she was away from Konoha.

"Hey kid, looks like we made it."

She snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of her master's voice. She looked up and saw the gates of Konoha before her.

"Welcome to my home." She said as she turned to her teacher.

He smirked at her and together they walked through the gates and into the bright village.

_**End Chapter Sixty-One**_

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**Hope you guys like this chapter. I bet you guys weren't expecting her to return to Konoha so soon. You guys got lucky that I had to cancel a trip to Europe or you would have had to wait a while. Anyways, please pardon the shortness of this chapter and please review if you have the chance. Until next time. **


	62. Chapter 62

**Hello guys! Hope you guys like this chapter as it is the first chapter of the Shippuuden series. Thanks to Gravenimage, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, ruler of dragons, Eterna1, Valinor's Twilight, Tateno Atsukino, lovelyanimeangel, EggrollPerson, Mayan, Avonda Alleyne, The Memories of Old, Madeline Cullen, wingedangel52, Bakagirl101, Lighting Wings, unknown player, and zakuro93 for reading and reviewing. **

**Please review if you have the time and check out my profile for a poll question about this story. If there are any ranters out there you might want to see my new forum. Now on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the lovely Rei and her lazy master Jin.**

* * *

**Chapter Sixty-Two**

Rei smiled as she watched her master looking around at her village. His eyes shone with wonder and curiosity and Rei thought he looked a lot like a small child. She looked away and tried to see if she could find her friends or old teammates. She was eager to see Naruto and even Sakura. Still, she decided to surprise them if she could.

She led her teacher to her old home which had gathered quite a large amount of dust while she was gone. A groan escaped her at the thought of having to clean later and she began to formulate a plan to get her master to do her dirty work. Of course, that would have to wait as she had to go to the Hokage's building first.

"Hey, old man, I have to go see the Hokage, but you can stay here."

"No way am I staying alone in this place." He muttered looking at the dust covered house.

"Besides, I should introduce myself to the Hokage since I'll be staying here for a while."

"Yeah, I guess so, let's go then." Rei said as she began to walk off to the Hokage's building.

Rei looked around as she walked hoping that her teammates weren't around. She was planning to surprise them. Then it occurred to her that Naruto could still be traveling with the pervy sage. She was a little disappointed when she thought of that. They reached the Hokage's home and walked to Tsunade's office. Rei knocked on the door and smiled a bit when she heard the woman's voice telling her to enter.

Once she entered the room Rei could see the woman's slight surprise. She stood before her and smiled at her and Shizune, who stood by Tsunade's side. Jin stood by Rei and glanced as Shizune as she looked at him curiously.

"Hello Tsunade-sama." Rei said happily.

Tsunade let a small smile slip onto her face.

"I hope you received my message."

"Yes, the bird arrived early this morning."

"Good, I didn't want to surprise you."

Tsunade glanced at Jin and Rei smirked.

"Sorry about that, this is Jin sensei." She said waving her hand in his direction.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner.

"I met him a bit after I left Konoha. He doesn't look like much, but he's a pretty strong old man."

Jin sent Rei a small glare as his eye twitched in annoyance. The girl's smirk grew and Tsunade observed the bright eyed man carefully.

"You're not a shinobi are you?" Tsunade asked him.

"No, I'm not." He responded calmly.

"Then how is it that you became this girl's master?"

"Jin trained with a shinobi he met when he was young. He just never got a chance to become an actual ninja since he was from a small village with no shinobi." Rei said.

Before Tsunade could say anything else the door opened and a jounin walked in.

"Lady Tsunade, team seven just returned from their mission."

Rei looked up at the mention of her old team. A moment later the opened once more and Rei grinned as Naruto and Sakura walked in. They froze as they saw her standing before the Hokage. Naruto was the first to react as he screamed out his friend's name.

"Rei-chan!"

Rei laughed as the hyperactive ninja hugged her tightly. She hugged him back and then let him go after a moment. He was grinning from ear to ear and although she could tell that he had grown he still had that childish and somewhat mischievous look.

"Rei-chan, you're finally back!"

"Yep, I didn't expect you to be back before me though. I can't believe you beat me." She said.

Naruto laughed and Rei just smiled.

"You've really grown you know."

Naruto laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"You changed too." He said with a smile/

Rei grinned knowing it was true to some extent. She hadn't grown as much as Naruto, at least not in her opinion, but then again she had never been the tallest one in the team. Still, she had managed to grow a bit and her body had changed to some extent. Like Naruto she had also changed her clothing. She was dressed in a white sleeveless shirt that fit her a bit loosely over which she had a black vest that was left open. She also wore black pants and black shoes like the other ninja had.

Naruto looked at the man next to Rei. She noticed and smirked.

"Naruto, this is Jin sensei. He taught me a few things while we were traveling."

She turned to Jin.

"This is Naruto Uzumaki, my teammate."

Naruto seemed surprised, but he smiled at the man.

"Nice to meet you."

Jin smiled at the boy.

"Nice to meet you too. It's good to finally meet this kid's friends." He said motioning to Rei.

She sent him a slight glare for calling her a kid, but he just ignored it. Rei sighed and then looked over at Sakura who had remained quiet. After a moment she remembered the promise she had made to the girl and smiled as she walked towards her.

"Well Sakura I'm back so you can show me how strong you are. I hope you've been training."

Sakura smirked at the girl before her.

"The same goes for you."

There was a small amount of tension building up in the room, but Tsunade couldn't help but smile at the rivalry between the two girls. Sakura had trained hard while her teammates were away and she wondered who was actually stronger.

"I'm also interested to see how much you've improved, while you were away." Tsunade said, looking at Rei.

"Well then, why don't we have a little sparring match to see who's stronger?" She said.

Sakura nodded and they headed out of the building. Everyone followed them to the training grounds where they each stood on opposite sides of the field. Rei glanced at the others and saw them standing by some trees. Jin smiled a bit as he looked at his student and she grinned over at him and his teammate next to him.

She turned to Sakura and smirked as she watched the kunoichi preparing for the fight. She slid on some gloves and pressed her hands into fists as she got into a battle position.

"Ready Sakura?"

"I've been ready for a long time." She responded.

Sakura made the first move as she dashed to where Rei was and drew back her fist. Rei dodged and slid behind Sakura. She tried to kick her, but Sakura dodged and swung her fist at Rei again. She was barely able to dodge it and as Sakura's fist grazed her side she could feel a large amount of compressed chakra on her fist. At this she jumped back hastily and watched as Sakura smirked at her.

Rei glanced at Tsunade and understood why Sakura was so eager to show her what she had learned with the Hokage. Although Tsunade had taught her medical skills, she had probably taught her some other things like how to be as strong as her. If she was right then she would have to make sure to dodge Sakura's attacks or she would be in trouble. She smirked in appreciation of the challenge her teammate was providing for her.

"Well, you've certainly gotten stronger." She said.

Sakura just smirked. Rei glanced at her master and grinned. She concentrated her chakra on her feet and cleared her mind like he had taught her. Sakura blinked in surprise as she watched her teammate disappear in front of her.

"Sakura, over here."

Sakura turned around quickly and raised her arms to block Rei's attack. Rei punched Sakura with as much strength as she could muster and watched as her teammate gritted her teeth as her fist connected with her arms. She stumbled back, but remained on her feet and Rei had to admit that her defense was rather good. As she thought of this she spun around and kicked Sakura back. The pink haired girl slid back and then dodged as her teammate continued to attack her.

She kicked Rei and barely managed to hit her making her wince. The girl jumped back immediately to avoid getting hit while her guard was down, but she stumbled and fell. Sakura took the chance and hurried towards her ready to attack. Rei rolled out of the way just as Sakura punched the ground where she had laid a moment ago. She was surprised to see the ground crack and the earth give out under Sakura's new strength.

Even as she watched the broken ground and dodged the stray pieces of earth that flew off she had to smirk in satisfaction. Sakura stood with a smug smirk of her own.

"Guess, you really are strong." Rei said.

"Did you think I would waste my time?"

"No I guess not, you're too smart to do that." She said grinning.

"But I gotta tell you, I'm really interested in seeing ho much damage you can do with that strength of yours."

"If you're not careful you'll find out." Sakura said as she tightened her fists.

"Fair enough."

Rei ran at Sakura, but not with the same speed she had used before. Sakura saw her coming and dodged her hit. She jumped back as Rei tried to kick her legs out from under her. She took her chance as the girl stood up and drew her fist back. Rei let a mall smirk slide onto her face as she watched Sakura's fist growing closer.

Naruto, Tsunade and Shizune watched with surprise as Sakura punched Rei in the stomach. Both girls stood still for a moment as Sakura looked down at her fist which was stopped by a sort of shield made up of wind. Rei's hand lay behind the small mass of swirling wind.

"What is this?" Sakura said.

" Let's just say I got better at controlling my Kekkei Genkai. This is just a little trick I learned now, for the second part."

Rei gathered more wind and released it, pushing Sakura back. Everyone watched as Sakura landed on her back a fair distance away from Rei who was unscathed. Sakura stood up and saw Rei approaching her. She dodged and grabbed the girl's arm using it to pull her closer as she drew back her fist. As soon as she hit her a cloud of smoke engulfed them and she knew it was a clone. She felt cold steel pressed against her throat and frowned.

The smoke dispersed and everyone could see Rei standing behind Sakura while holding a kunai to her throat. Sakura felt disappointed as she thought of all the training she had gone through in order to defeat Rei. Still, it had not been enough. She heard Naruto's voice congratulating Rei on defeating her. The kunai at her throat was withdrawn as the others got closer.

"Great job Rei-chan!" Naruto said as he approached his teammate.

Rei grinned.

"Yeah, well it wasn't really easy. Sakura has really improved. I hope you've grown stronger as well." She said.

"Of course I have, the pervy sage trained me well."

"Well, that's good to hear. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you've learned."

Naruto grinned at his friend. Meanwhile, Shizune and Tsunade were going back to the Hokage's building. Sakura went up to her teammates. She glanced at Rei before turning her attention to Naruto.

"I'll go report on the mission to Tsunade-sama."

"Thanks Sakura-chan." Naruto said, glad to hear he was free to catch up with his friend.

Sakura turned to walk away.

"Sakura."

Sakura turned to look at Rei who was grinning widely.

"You've gotten a lot stronger, I hope someday we can have a rematch."

Sakura smiled a bit and nodded before leaving.

They watched as she walked away with Tsunade and Shizune. Suddenly, a low grumbling sound was heard. Naruto looked at Rei and she laughed sheepishly.

"Guess I'm a bit hungry." She said.

Naruto laughed at his friend.

"How about we get some ramen?" Naruto said.

"Naruto-kun you're the best!" Rei said happily.

"Jin, do you wanna get some ramen with us?"

"Sure, I really want to look around. It's good to finally be here." He said with a small smile.

They left towards the town and once again, Rei was amused as she watched her master look around at the shops.

"So how did your training go Rei-chan? Did you learn any new jutsu?"

"Yeah, Jin sensei doesn't look like much, but he's a good teacher. He helped me improve my fighting skills and speed. He even helped me with my fathers' techniques."

"I really want to see your new techniques."

"Yeah, well, you're going to have to wait. I can't depend on my Kekkei Genkai since it takes too much chakra." Rei said with an air of disappointed.

"That's alright you can show me your new techniques when we go on our next mission." Naruto said.

Rei nodded and the conversation turned to the things that Naruto had seen in his travels. Rei smiled as she listened to his stories. They ate and talked about many things and after leaving Icharaku Naruto gave Jin a 'tour' of Konoha. They key locations all included some humorous story of Naruto's early and more rebellious days.

"Your friend is really energetic, isn't he?" Jin said as he walked with Rei.

It was late in the evening and they were heading home after a day of wandering around with Naruto. Rei smiled as they reached her home.

"Yeah, he's always been that way. I'm really glad he hasn't changed." She said.

They walked in and Rei led him to his room which was more than a bit dusty. She smirked as she handed Jin a broom.

"So what do you think of your master's village?"

"I like it, but I would like it more if I wasn't forced to clean up after my messy student." Jin said as he helped her sweep the room.

"Oh, stop complaining. I'll get you some clean bedding and tomorrow I'll clean up so you won't have to whine anymore." She said with a roll of her eyes.

Jin just sighed and shook his head mumbling something that sounded like 'no respect'. Rei was just happy to be back home, even if she now had to put up with her complaining sensei. She was glad to see that things hadn't changed and she was glad to be back with her friends.

Even though she wanted to just think of all the good things that awaited her now that she was back with her friends she couldn't help but remember her main goal. The next day she would have to talk to Tsunade alone. There were a lot of things they had to discuss, the most important being her decision to kill her old teammate.

It had been a long time since she made that choice and she hadn't changed her mind. Killing Sasuke and Orochimaru was her top priority at the moment. Another concern of hers was Akatsuki. Naruto had told her about the mission he had just returned from. Apparently Gaara had been targeted by the organization as well as other shinobi with tailed beasts sealed within them.

She was concerned for her friend since he housed the nine-tailed beast in his body. Apart from that, it seemed that Akatsuki was moving and that meant that it wouldn't be long before they had another encounter with Itachi. From what Naruto told him, they had been pretty close to him during the mission as they had fought a sort of clone of Itachi.

Rei bid goodnight to Jin and retreated to her bedroom. She laid down and let out a soft sigh as she thought of the growing amount of danger that her and her teammates were exposed to. She had been wrong to think that things hadn't changed. Things were changing all around her and it seemed that it was all for the worst. Still, the thought of being with her team gave her some comfort. Knowing that she wasn't alone, that she had Jin and the others with her made her feel like things would be alright, or so she hoped.

_**End Chapter Sixty-Two**_

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**Hope you guys liked this chapter and sorry if it seems a bit short. Please review if you have the time and check out my profile. There's a poll for you guys there and for the ranters among my readers there's a new forum. Until next time.**


	63. Chapter 63

**Hello people! Sorry for not updating in such a long time but some time and health as well as technical issues kept me from writing. I finally managed to make enough time and although I'm still ill I'll try to update as often as I can between my meds and my naps (no sarcasm whatsoever here). On to a lighter note, the poll to decide whether I should write a sequel and/or prequel is still up so if you haven't please vote. So far it looks like I'll have my hands full writing both.**

**Anyways, thanks to Gravenimage, Valinor's Twilight, Tateno Atsukino, Eterna1, Madeline Cullen, Avonda Alleyne, Yoosha, , EggrollPerson, The Memories of Old, .Hitachiinx3, and unknown player for reading and reviewing and thanks to all those who alert and favorite me and my stories. Please review if you have the chance and please enjoy the story. Now on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the lovely Rei and the lazy Jin. Credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto –San for his brilliant characters and dialogue, some of which I will be using to preserve the tone of the story.**

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**Chapter Sixty-Three**

It was early in the morning after Rei and her master had arrived in Konoha and the house they now occupied was completely silent. Jin was asleep in the room that had been provided for him mumbling every now and then about lazy brats. Said lazy brat was nowhere in the house.

At the moment, Rei was sitting before the gravestone in the training grounds. A serious look was on the girl's face as she sat there staring at the names engraved on the stone. She had been sitting there for a long time, trying to clear her mind. The sun had just risen and she had actually been up to see it. She sighed as she closed her eyes and got ready to leave. With a quick goodbye to her father she stood up and walked off towards the Hokage's building.

She was glad she didn't run into anyone she knew. She really didn't feel like chatting at the moment. Besides, Tsunade was probably waiting for her, that is if she wasn't asleep. She grinned a bit at the thought of the oh-so-powerful Hokage drooling on some important document.

She climbed up the stairs and walked down the long hallway to the Godaime's office. Rei already knew what the woman would say and she really wasn't in the mood to hear it. It was bad enough that her own friends and teacher tried to stop her from going after Sasuke. With a quick knock on the door and a soft sigh of resignation she entered the spacious room to stand before the Tsunade. She was mildly surprised to see her fully awake.

"Good morning, Lady Tsunade."

"From your look I wouldn't say it's too good." She said with some humor.

Rei managed to raise a brow at the unexpected joke in the otherwise serious situation. Tsunade sighed and leaned over her desk with her hands folded beneath her chin.

"I suppose you want to get right to the point."

The girl nodded in agreement.

"I allowed you to leave Konoha because it was important for you, as well as for your teammates, to become stronger. However, now that you're back I can't allow you to go after Sasuke, at least not unless you give up your desire to kill him."

The young girl before her didn't flinch at the stern tone in the woman's voice. She cocked her head t o the side and looked at Tsunade with cold eyes. When she spoke it was with an even tone that betrayed none of her emotions.

"Lady Tsunade, I have no intentions of either lying to you or of giving up. My goal remains the same."

Tsunade looked down.

"Although…"

The Hokage looked up and saw a look of hesitation on the girl's face. For a moment she thought she saw remorse, but the expression flashed across so quickly that it was too difficult to distinguish.

"Naruto-kun and Sakura-san, as well as Kakashi-sensei, they have trained and grown a lot just so that they could get Sasuke back. That's why I think I can at least give them a chance to fix things in their own way."

"Are you saying that you won't go after Sasuke's life?"

"For the time being, at least."

Rei was sure that she saw uncertainty in the Hokage's face but she merely curved the corners of her mouth, barely enough to make the small smile visible.

"Don't worry, Hokage-sama, you'll know when their time runs out."

Tsunade sighed and leaned back in her chair. Dealing with the girl could be exhausting at times, but she knew she would keep her word.

"Oh that's right!"

Tsunade looked up at Rei and was unfazed by the sudden change of expression on her face. A moment ago she had been serious, almost solemn, but now she resembled her usual self. Apparently she had just realized something and her face lit up at the thought.

"I wanted to ask you about Jin-sensei."

Tsunade blinked recalling the man that had arrived with Rei the previous day.

"I was wondering if he could stay here though I'm not really sure for how long he'll be here…" She trailed off thoughtfully.

"That's fine, just keep him out of trouble."

"I will, maybe he could even help out with some missions since he's pretty good at ninja stuff." She said cheerfully.

"I'll think about it. I'll send a message if either one of you is needed."

"Alright then, I should go now."

Tsunade nodded and the girl left.

Rei arrived home and grinned at the sight of her new teacher with his sleeves rolled up and his hair tied back as he swept the porch.

"Good morning Jin-sensei!"

The man turned and glared at her. The small twitch on his left eye did not go unnoticed and only served to widen her grin.

"Where have you been?" He asked with annoyance clear in his voice.

"Ah, well, I had to take care of some business…You missed a spot there." She said pointing to said spot.

Rei bit her lip to prevent the laughter building up inside her from bursting at the sight of her more than annoyed teacher.

"I'm kidding!" She said quickly, putting her hands up as Jin's grip on the broomstick tightened dangerously.

"Anyway, since you've been working so hard let's go get some ramen."

Jin sighed and slumped forward.

"Fine."

They walked down the streets of Konoha, which grew more crowded as the morning progressed, and soon reached the small ramen shop that had a special place in the hearts and stomachs of most of the population.

"So, what business did you have to attend to that actually made you get up before me?"

"Hey! Are you saying that I can't get up early?"

"I didn't say that, I just said, I've never seen it and that it's highly unlikely. It's kinda like a natural disaster, completely unexpected and rare."

"Watch it you old man or I'll throw you out into the street."

Jin just rolled his eyes, unable to respond due to a mouthful of ramen.

"So why did you go to t he Hokage?" He asked softly, looking down at his noodles.

Rei stopped, with her chopsticks halfway up to her mouth and frowned.

"We should talk about this later."

Jin looked up and blinked in surprise at the girl's cheerful expression.

"Let's just enjoy the ramen that you so generously offered to pay for."

"What? I didn't-"

"Hey, mister shopkeeper, another bowl please, my generous and kind sensei is buying!"

Jin sighed and shook his head.

"Excuse me."

Both Rei and Jin turned to look at whoever had spoken. Rei grinned at the sight of her teammate.

"Hello Sakura!"

"Good morning." She said nodding towards Jin and Rei.

"Our team has to meet up now so please come with me."

Rei frowned and sighed as she got up.

"I guess I'll see you later." She told Jin.

Jin just waved his hand dismissively not turning away from his noodles. Rei's eye twitched and she smacked her teacher on the head before walking off with Sakura.

"So, do you know why we're being summoned?" Rei asked.

"Yes, but we're almost there so we should just wait until we meet up with the others."

"Right."

When they arrived at their meeting spot Rei saw two people that she didn't recognize standing there, one with his back turned towards them. The other looked older and wore the regular shinobi outfit. Before they could get closer they heard footsteps behind them.

"Rei-chan! Sakura-chan!"

Rei turned with a smile and saw Naruto.

"Hello, Naruto-kun."

Naruto grinned and they proceeded to where the other two were. As soon as they reached them Naruto pointed to the youngest of the two in an accusing manner.

"It's you!"

Rei and Sakura looked at each other in confusion before turning back to Naruto The other man ignored them and introduced himself.

"um…from now on Team Kakashi, I'll be taking Kakashi's place as…"

"Naruto, do you know this person?" Sakura asked.

"Sorry about before, I just wanted to see how strong my team member was. I just didn't know how much I'd have to look after you." The black haired boy said.

Rei frowned as she looked at him and realized why he seemed so familiar. She looked at Naruto, not wanting to gaze into the stranger's face.

"What did you say?" Naruto yelled, ready to fight.

"Hey! He's our teammate now! Calm down!" Sakura told him as she held him back.

"…but you're…not that nice…" She said hesitantly.

Their new teammate laughed a bit, but it seemed to be an empty laugh.

"Really? But I like ugly girls like you."

"You what?!" Sakura screamed ready to send him to the hospital with her new strength.

The other man held her back, much like she had done with Naruto.

"Hey, remember what you just said to Naruto?!"

After both Naruto and Sakura calmed down their new team leader began to explain the situation.

"Anyway…from now on the four of us are on a mission….But look at you…there's no time to toss you all into a cage and get you used to each other so introduce yourselves."

"Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto said as he glared at their new teammate.

"I'm Haruno Sakura." Rei could see a vein throbbing on her forehead.

"Hattori Rei." She said in a much lighter tone than the other two.

"My name is Sai." The boy said with his ever present smile.

"Well, now that that's done I'll explain our mission."

Everyone turned more serious at this and all previous feuds were forgotten, at least temporarily.

"We will got to the Tenchi bridge where we will intercept one of Akatsuki's spies in Orochimaru's organization and bring them back. This is a chance to find out about Orochimaru and Uchiha Sasuke. We can gain a valuable source of information which may lead to formulate a plan to assassinate Orochimaru and take Sasuke back. So keep focused!"

It was clear from the look on Naruto's face that the last part was unnecessary.

"We will assemble at the front gate in one hour! After sorting out equipment we will depart!"

With that everyone left. Sai and their new leader on their own and the other three as a group.

"I really can't stand that jerk Sai!"

Rei and Sakura turned to look at Naruto.

"Why does he have to take Sasuke's place…? We're enough for Team Kakashi!"

Rei smiled weakly.

"He's definitely rude…but don't you think he resembles Sasuke a bit? His face, his voice…"

Rei glanced at Sakura, who was looking at Naruto. She frowned and looked away agreeing silently in her mind.

"Not a bit! Sasuke's cooler…no…He's just better!" Naruto said.

"You're right, Sasuke is somewhat cooler than Sai." Sakura responded.

"What do you mean 'somewhat'?! Sasuke's way better!"

Rei smiled weakly at Naruto, but she wished her teammates would talk about something else. Even after all the time that had passed it bothered her to talk about Sasuke. Seeing Sai bothered her as well. Though Naruto denied it, there was definitely a strong resemblance between Sai and Sasuke. She guessed she would just have to ignore that since they would be working together. She just hoped she wouldn't act recklessly.

**_End Chapter Sixty-Three_**

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**Hope you guys liked it and again, sorry for taking so long and for making it so short. I promise I'll work hard from now on so don't kill me. Please review if you have the time and vote on the poll. **


	64. Chapter 64

**Hello people! Thanks to Gravenimage, EggrollPerson, Valinor's Twilight, ruler of dragons, Tateno Atsukino, The Memories of Old, Rei's fan, XCrissCrossX, MrsMonkeyDHitachiinx3, Avonda Alleyne and lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate you guys taking the time to comment. Please review if you have the chance. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Anyways, please enjoy this chapter and please read my other stories if you are interested. Now on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the lovely Rei and her lazy sensei Jin.**

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**Chapter Sixty-Four**

The day had barely started and Rei already had a feeling that it was going to be a very grueling and long day. With the addition of Sai to the team Rei couldn't guarantee that this mission would be an easy one, although intercepting a spy from a powerful organization of rogue shinobi didn't really sound too easy. She sighed as she made her way back to her home to get ready for the mission.

"So what happened?"

She turned and saw Jin leaning against the wall behind her.

"Well, sorry to leave you so soon, but it looks like I have to go on a mission." She said with an apologetic grin

Jin blinked in surprise.

"We just arrived and they already have a mission for you?"

Rei nodded and watched as her sensei sighed. She knew he would be somewhat annoyed at hearing that she was going to leave him alone after having just arrived in a new place. Especially since that place was his old master's home. It was only to be expected that being in such a place would stir up some old memories.

"So what is the mission about?" He asked in a tone that suggested that he already suspected something.

"It's basically just a mission to gather information." Rei said, trying to avoid looking at Jin.

It wasn't such a good idea as this only served to let him know she wasn't being completely truthful. He had known the girl for long enough to know when she was hiding something. He stared at her for a moment longer before saying what was on his mind.

"Does it have anything to do with Sasuke?" He said in a soft voice he only used with the girl before him.

He knew he had to be careful when discussing a subject as delicate as the betrayal of his student's old friend. The problem was that he wasn't too used with this type of discussion seeing as how she rarely talked about the boy. From what little he had managed to get out of her he had concluded that her feelings for him had been more than those of a friend. This only served in making things more difficult to understand.

He watched as the girl frowned and looked away. Obviously, he had been correct in assuming that the young Uchiha had something to do with the mission.

"Yeah, if we manage to intercept our target we may get some information on the hideout of Orochimaru. With that knowledge we could find Sasuke and bring him back."

"I see…Are you sure you can carry out your mission, I mean, given your real goal is to…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"I'll be fine. It's like I told the Hokage, I owe my teammates the chance to deal with Sasuke in their own way before I deal with him my way."

Jin smiled a bit at his student. He couldn't say he was happy about her choice, but he was glad that she was at least willing to give other options a chance.

"Send a message before you return." Jin told the girl.

Rei nodded with a small smile knowing he would worry until he received proof that she was returning in one piece.

"Alright then, I guess I'll leave you to get ready." He said walking off.

"Jin-nii."

Jin stopped and turned at the use of a rare name for him. He was a bit surprised to see the girl grinning at him.

"I'll be fine."

Jin smirked and shook his head a bit. At the simple reassurance from his student he felt a bit better.

"You just focus on getting this place cleaned up."

He snapped his head up, but the girl was gone leaving only the fading sound of laughter.

Packing for the mission was rather easy as she hadn't really bothered to unpack yet. She only had to add a few things and after a quick inventory to make sure she was properly equipped she left to join her team.

When she arrived and saw Sai standing by the village gates she couldn't help but frown. Neither Naruto nor Sakura were there, making her feel more uneasy than she already did. She greeted Yamato, the new team leader then glanced at Sai.

"Hello, Rei-san." He said with the same unnerving smile.

She nodded and then fixed her gaze towards the road leading back to the village, hoping to see her teammates soon. A sigh of relief escaped her as she saw Naruto and Sakura approaching. Both of her teammates greeted her and then proceeded to glare at Sai.

"Okay guys, if you're ready then let's go." Yamato said.

With that they began to head out of the village and towards the Tenchi bridge. Rei was a bit dismayed at having to leave Konoha so soon after having just returned, but she was glad that she would be able to spend some more time with her teammates. However, every time she turned to say talk with Naruto she saw him glaring at Sai who just ignored him. After a while Sai turned to Naruto and both Rei and Sakura looked at the two boys.

"What is it?" Sai asked.

Naruto just continued glaring and Rei had to wonder what he was thinking. She really didn't feel like watching another argument between the two boys.

"If you keep staring at me like that I'll punch you." Sai said.

It was a bit strange to hear him make such a harsh comment with a completely impassive expression. His eyes seemed empty of any emotion, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"What you think I'm scared of you!" Naruto exclaimed angrily, with a raised fist.

Rei just sighed and shook her head.

"Naruto-kun, just leave him alone." She said exasperatedly.

"He's our teammate now, so you should at least try not to argue, even if you dislike him."

"No he's not one of us! Our real teammate is Uchiha Sasuke!"

Rei frowned and looked down while Sakura stared at Naruto in surprise. Sai just stood there with his usual expression. He didn't seem to be bothered by the way Naruto rejected him as part of the team.

"Even on his best day…this loser couldn't even be half as good as Sasuke! He will never be our teammate!"

Rei looked up and was surprised to see Sai smiling.

"That's fine by me. I wouldn't want to be compared to that traitor who abandoned his own village for Orochimaru just to gain power."

For the first time since she had met Sai, Rei glared at him. It wasn't that she disagreed, after all her latest goal was to do away with Sasuke, but she didn't need to be reminded of what he had done. She really didn't need to remember the fact that he left just to gain power.

Naruto was shaking with anger. His fists were clenched at his sides as he glared at Sai.

"How dare you…" He said, taking a step forward.

Sakura held up her arm to stop him.

"Even if you don't like each other, Naruto isn't too familiar with you and shouldn't judge you. Please forgive him."

Rei had to admit that she was surprised at Sakura's actions, especially since Sai had insulted Sasuke.

"It's fine by me." Sai said with his usual smile.

Sakura smiled brightly at the boy.

"That's good." She said.

After saying that, Rei watched as the pink haired girl delivered a rather hard blow to their new teammate. She winced knowing how much that had to hurt, even though she wasn't particularly fond of Sai. He went flying and landed hard on the ground, quite a distance away from them. Both Naruto and Yamato seemed surprised at Sakura's sudden attack but Rei couldn't help but be somewhat amused by the usually calm kunoichi's actions.

"I don't care if you forgive me…" Sakura said with a fierce glare.

The argument continued until Yamato demonstrated a rather unusual power. He was able to create a rather large cage out of wood that seemed to grow at his whim. After threatening them with locking them in the cage both Naruto and Sakura calmed down and they headed to the inn in which they would spend the night.

Everyone went to the hot springs except Rei. She stayed in the room she would share with Sakura under the pretext of being tired. The girl took the chance to summon the same falcon she had used to send Tsunade a message before she returned to Konoha. Although he wouldn't admit it, Jin was probably worried about her at that moment. She wrote a quick note telling him she was alright and sent the bird off.

After sitting by the window for a while, watching the trees swaying in the night wind, she decided to go to the hot springs for a bit. She just hoped that there weren't a lot of people. The last thing she wanted was to sit around with a bunch of gossiping women.

To be completely honest, she wasn't much for socializing. Sure she was friendly, but that didn't mean she liked to actually spend time with people. That might sound a bit harsh, but she supposed it was just because of all the time she spent shut up in Orochimaru's lair as a child. Her mind wandered back to those times while she walked to the hot springs and she wondered how Sasuke was coping with the snake bastard.

_"Not that I care."_ She reminded herself.

She groaned as when she found herself thinking of the Uchiha yet again. It was getting harder to stop thinking of him after returning to Konoha, not that the addition of Sai to the team really helped. She really didn't want to think about him, but what upset her more was the realization that there was a hint of worry present when she thought of Sasuke.

She entered the hot springs and saw Sakura along with about ten other women happily talking about things that she couldn't care less about. Rei considered going back to her room, but Sakura spotted her and smiled. With a resigned sigh and a small wave, the girl made her way over to her teammate. She wouldn't risk upsetting Sakura by walking away when things were finally starting to get better between them.

_"All for the spirit of teamwork."_ She thought.

"Rei-san, you decided to come to the springs after all."

"Yeah, I thought I might as well take advantage of this chance. Besides, I kinda need it after all the traveling." She said with a grin.

Sakura nodded in understanding.

"What was it like, being away from the village for so long?"

Rei seemed to think about it for a moment.

"Well, at first it was hard."

Sakura blinked in surprise at hearing that from Rei. She had always thougth that Rei wouldn't mind being away from the village due to her past experiences. Rei seemed to know what her teammate was thinking and gave her a small smile.

"I guess being on the road again just brought up some old memories…"

There was a dazed expression on the girl's face as she recalled the first few days of traveling. She remembered thinking of her friends and trying to push down the anger and sorrow building up in her. The memories of her time with Orochimaru as they traveled while training and the time during which she had to run with his subordinates chasing her had always been present as she continued down the road on her own. Sakura looked at her with a mixture of surprise and understanding.

"But once I met Jin-sensei things weren't so bad. He kinda distracted me with all the idiotic training methods he came up with. Half the time I was just trying to stay alive."

A fond look crossed her face as she thought of her teacher.

"But his training really helped didn't it?"

"I guess so, but there were still some things he wasn't able to help me with."

"Like what?" Sakura asked curiously.

"It's a long story." Rei sighed.

She began to walk back to the changing room.

"I think I'll head back to the room."

Sakura nodded with a small smile and Rei left. She really didn't feel like talking, much less about the past few years. It wasn't so much that she had suffered. Far from that she had more or less enjoyed learning from the things she saw and traveling with her teacher. Jin had always made sure that she was well fed and well rested even when his training methods were a bit unorthodox or, as she like to think of them, near suicidal.

What really bothered her was thinking of the reason for her journey. Just thinking of what she was training for and of the reason for gaining more strength annoyed her. She didn't like to think that she was wasting her time training to kill someone that, in the past, she would have given her life for. As she dressed her hand brushed against a scar on her side making her stop and frown.

There was a fair amount of scars on her body considering her choice of profession, but the one that never seemed to heal properly even in a physical sense was the one that Sasuke had given her the day he left. It irritated her to have such a lasting reminder of that day. As she often did, she ignored it and finished getting dressed before stepping out and heading back to her room only to run into the one person she really didn't want to see at the moment.

"Hello, Rei-san."

"Hi." She said as she tried to walk around Sai, avoiding his gaze at the same time.

"You seem upset, is something bothering you?" He asked with the same eerie smile he always had.

Rei tried to keep her eye from twitching in annoyance. She thought she had made it a bit more obvious that she was trying to avoid talking to him. Before she could respond he said something that made her want to strangle him.

"Does it have anything to do with Sasuke?"

She crossed her arms to avoid stabbing her teammate and gave him a slight glare.

"That's none of your concern. Now please let me pass." Keeping the annoyance out of her voice was a hard task but she manage to do it.

"We're teammates and I read in a book that it's important to talk about these things to get to know each other. Showing concern for others is important to a good relationship between comrades."

"Don't talk like there's a manual for everything and stop showing such fake concern. If you want to get to know me better than the first thing you should know is that I don't appreciate it when others meddle in my affairs."This time her voice had an edge that she didn't bother to hide.

Sai still stood before her, smiling, to her chagrin. There was something about that smile that smile that bothered her.

"But you were close to Sasuke so it's important to get to know you. If a traitor like him and someone like you who trained under Oro-"

He stopped when he felt the cool steel of a kunai at his throat. He could see a flash or rage in the girl's eyes before it was quickly replaced by an empty look that made it hard to read what she was thinking. She hesitated for a moment before slowly withdrawing the weapon and giving Sai a cold look.

"I'm not like my teammates who will only scream and punch you. If you irritate me enough you'll find that I'm not as forgiving. Now, step aside."

Sai looked at her intently for a few more seconds before allowing her to walk away. His assignment wouldn't be as easy as he thought if the girl was so cold all the time. But then again, it would guarantee that things would be at least a bit interesting.

**_End Chapter Sixty-Four_**

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**Hope you guys liked the chapter and sorry for the wait, but my brother's birthday just passed and I also had to go to the Chinese New Year's celebration. Aside from that, I was feeling a bit ill so I wasn't able to do too much writing at a time. Anyways, please review and vote on my poll if you have the chance and if you have any ideas for side stories for this fic Pm me. Please pardon any mistakes. Until next time.**


	65. Chapter 65

**Hello people! Please p****ardon the long wait but many things came up and even now I'm still a bit ill, but I won't bore you with the details. Still, I'll try to keep writing and chapters will come out regularly from now on. Anyways, thanks to Tateno Atsukino, Valinor's Twilight, unknown player, NyNyWorldWide, and Lyris88 for reading and reviewing**** and special ****thanks to ruler of dragons! To anyone who is still reading this story, please review and please pardon any mistakes as I have little time to write and therefore must do it in a hurry. Now on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the lovely Rei, her lazy teacher Jin and any other original characters.**

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**Chapter Sixty-Five**

The cool breeze slipped trough the open window as Rei tried to get some rest. She had gone to bed before Sakura, saying that she was tired, which she truly was, but she just wasn't able to fall asleep. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she turned to lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. The night was quiet as she lay there with her teammate at her side, already fast asleep.

Sakura and her were sharing a room much like the boys and she was thankful that their relationship was considerably better from the last time they had seen each other. Even so, she avoided the subject of Sasuke knowing that her obvious disdain of the Uchiha would only serve to anger the other girl.

She groaned as she realized that she had once more been thinking of her old teammate. Of course it was almost impossible to stop thinking of him when she was traveling with someone who looked so much like him.

'Only he was actually nicer' she thought bitterly.

In all honesty she thought her new teammate was a complete jerk. He was rude, inconsiderate and far too nosy for his own good.

'Crap, he really is like him!'

The thought bothered her, but she quickly pushed it out of her mind. Although, she knew that there was something strange about Sai. Something was bothering her about him. He was too curious for his own good, but it was more than that. Sai actually knew about her relationship with Orochimaru. Only the Hokage and her teammates along with Kakashi knew about that. She hadn't even told Jin.

When they had talked outside the hot springs she hadn't questioned him about this, but at the time she had been too scared of her anger getting the better of her and so she had left. That wouldn't happen again. As annoying and unappealing as the thought seemed she would have to keep an eye on him. If he was going to keep a close watch on her so would she. She just hoped her plan wouldn't backfire.

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The morning light streamed in through the window, causing an annoyed groan to emanate from the blond girl who, only moments ago, had been sound asleep. With a sigh she sat up and looked around at her surroundings. Sakura was still asleep as it was early in the morning. Unfortunately, Rei knew she wouldn't be able to get anymore sleep. Even though she had just woken up her mind was already plagued with bothersome thoughts. It would be a while until her teammates woke up and so she decided to take a short walk to clear her head.

After getting dressed she stepped out of her room and headed outside. It was a bright and sunny morning and she knew that under normal circumstances she would have enjoyed the calming breeze that swept trough the trees. Instead she found herself closing her eyes with a deep breath in an attempt to get her mind back into focus.

"Good morning Rei-san" a deep voice said from somewhere behind her.

The girl suppressed a groan of irritation as she instantly recognized the person behind her. She had to curse her luck for what seemed like the hundredth time in only a couple of days. Reluctantly, she spun around to face her teammate. She tried to keep herself from frowning, but knew she didn't succeed.

"Morning" she said in a dull tone.

"I really didn't expect anyone else to be up at this time. I hope you were able to sleep well."

Once again, Rei couldn't help but be bothered by Sai's blatantly fake smile. She wondered if he knew how unconvincing it was. He probably didn't or else he wouldn't bother with it.

"I slept well enough" she responded in a detached tone.

Still, the boy's smile didn't waver.

"That's good to hear. I suppose we'll need our rest for the mission ahead."

Rei limited herself to a nod as a response. A thought crossed her mind then and she fixed Sai with a scrutinizing stare.

"So why are you up so early?"

"I've never been one to sleep for long. Is something bothering you?"

"You could say that, but there's something I meant to ask you last night" Rei said.

"And what would that be?"

"I was just wondering how you came to know of my involvement with Orochimaru? I never told you and it's not a very open subject, even among those close to me" she said as she watched the boy carefully.

"But I suppose you aren't so trusting anymore. Not after what happened with Sasuke" Sai retorted in a pleasant tone.

Rei clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes, disdain clear in her facial features that were usually fixed in a calm and friendly way. The mention of her old teammate sparked something inside her much like it had the previous night. Strangely, it was not the usual anger that she felt towards the Uchiha, but a strange wrath towards Sai for reminding her of him. It was almost like he knew that it hurt even more to be reminded of him by someone that resembled him so much. In a way it was almost like having him standing there, mocking her after having abandoned her and the others. Even so she pushed back her anger and spoke in an even, although somewhat forced, tone.

"That's right, I'm not so trusting, but I doubt I ever really was. Now answer my question, how did you know about my connection to the snake bastard?"

"I just thought I should do some research on my teammates. That way it would be easier to get along. I guess you're not happy at all with the fact that you were trained by him" he said calmly.

"Of course not. If anything I hate knowing that I was taught by someone like him" she said with distaste.

"Even so, I don't understand why you bother to hide your connection. If you no longer share a bond with Orochimaru then it doesn't matter, does it?"

"I don't think I've ever shared a bond with him. Besides, he's a part of my past so I don't see why everyone should know. But how did you get that information? Only the Hokage and a few other shinobi know."

Sai paused for a moment before answering.

"I'm afraid that's something I can't discuss with you."

"Then tell me why you're so interested in me" she said in a commanding tone as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I guess you didn't believe me when I said it was to know my teammates better."

"Of course not, its obvious that there's something else you're after..." she trailed off.

There was a strange look in the boy's eyes. It was strange to see even a shimmer of emotion from him. His smile did not waver as he spoke.

"Maybe you're right, but if that's the case I'm sure you'll find out sooner or later" he said.

There was something strange about the way he said that, but before Rei could say anything he was already gone. She felt her eye twitching in irritation. Unfortunately for the poor tree besides her the urge to punch someone was too great to resist. Of course she would have preferred to sink her fist into Sai's face. With a sigh, with which she hoped to calm herself, she turned and headed off for what she hoped wild be a calming walk.

**End Chapter 65**

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**Well, I hope you guys liked it and I must say that I am not overall satisfied with this chapter. I meant to write quite a bit more, but time issues at the last minute didn't allow that. Still, I will upload a new chapter soon, hopefully next week or even during the weekend.** **Again, I offer my deepest and sincerest apologies for taking so long to update and for making my not so glorious return to the world of fanfiction so short. Even so, I hope you will review and continue reading. **


	66. Chapter 66

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter and as always, here a bit of shameless self advertising, but if you could read my original stories on fictionpress and review I will be eternally grateful to you.**** Anyways, thanks to Tateno Atsukino, Valinor's Twilight, unknown player, Gravenimage, NyNyWorldWide, and random person for reading and reviewing****! Now on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the lovely Rei, her lazy teacher Jin and any other original characters.**

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**Chapter Sixty-Six**

It took another day of walking, with a break to train, to get to the bridge. Once they arrived, Yamato transformed into Sasori. Rei and the others hid at the end of the bridge behind Yamato. They were lucky that the wind was strong and blew away their scent. Due to the noise they were also able to get much closer than would have been possible. They waited for the spy to show up and Rei could feel Naruto and Sakura stiffen at the sight of a cloaked figure appearing from the other end of the bridge. Slowly, the man slipped his hood off and Rei felt her eyes widen in surprise when she saw who the spy was.

"Kabuto...?" She muttered.

They remained silent while they watched Yamato talking with Kabuto. Even though they couldn't hear anything they knew that Yamato was doing a good job in keeping Kabuto fooled. Suddenly, Orochimaru appeared behind Kabuto just as Yamato pulled out a kunai. Kabuto saw this and moved next to Yamato. Everyone tensed as they watched the three on the bridge.

Kabuto activated a jutsu that Rei recognized and without warning, struck Yamato, blowing his cover. Orochimaru attacked, but Yamato used a substitution jutsu. They talked a bit and then Yamato signaled for them to join him. Rei frowned deeply, not wanting to come face-to-face with the snake bastard again, but there was nothing she could do.

She clenched her fists when she saw the snake bastard smirk at her. Rei could see the satisfaction in his face at the hatred in her eyes.

"Well, if it isn't my old apprentice." Orochimaru said with a mocking tone as he looked at Rei.

Everyone looked at the girl knowing how hard this was on her. Naruto was already being taken over by the Kyuubi's chakra. Rei could see his eyes glowing red and the marks on his face thickening. Orochimaru's taunts were driving Naruto to the edge as his attempts to get Sasuke back were made fun of. Before anyone could do anything, Naruto charged at Orochimaru and threw him back into the forest behind him. Everyone watched in surprise and awe.

"You're getting quite Jinchuriki like...little fox..." Orochimaru said as he emerged from the forest with a portion of his face missing.

Rei looked at Naruto with concern as he stood before them all. She caught only a small portion of what being said. Her mind was still on Naruto and how dangerous the situation had gotten. She knew that it would be dangerous to allow the Kyuubi's chakra to go unchecked for much longer.

Another taunt on Orochimaru's part cause yet another outburst from Naruto. The chakra surrounding him increased and formed what looked like three tails. Kabuto tried to attack Naruto as he glared at Orochimaru, but Naruto used his chakra to throw him back. Unfortunately, Sakura was also hit and the hard impact of her head colliding against the ground made her unconscious. Kabuto was thrown back and a large portion of the bridge was destroyed. Rei was about to fall off, but managed to grab onto a piece of rope from the bridge.

As she looked up she could see Yamato holding the bridge up with his wood style jutsu while Sakura was about to slide off of the bridge. Sai used his art of beast mimicry to summon a bird, but didn't bother to help Sakura as she fell. Rei watched as she fell and was stopped by Yamato's jutsu. She glared at Sai as she made her way up onto the bridge and checked on Sakura.

Yamato hurried towards them. Rei stood up and looked over at the forest on the other side of the bridge. She couldn't see Sai or Naruto, but she knew Naruto was fighting Orochimaru. She could sense the Kyuubi's chakra as it grew stronger by the turned back to where Yamato was explaining the situation to Sakura, who had just woken up.

"I'm going after them." She said.

Yamato shook his head.

"No, it's too dangerous. That fight is out of your level."

"But I have to know what's going on! Sai just left without thinking of us and Naruto is up against Orochimaru by himself!" Rei argued.

"There's nothing you can do about that." Yamato with a stern tone.

Rei clenched her fists, but said nothing more.

"Fine, but I can at least keep an eye on the situation."

She made some quick hand signs and summoned a small falcon and sent it off in the direction the others had gone. After making some more hand signs she touched her right eye as she closed it.

"Second Sight." She muttered.

She opened her eye to reveal a glowing yellow color. Sakura stared at her in surprise while Yamato created a wood doppelganger. He sent it off across the gap and to the other side.

Rei could see Sai up ahead as she closed her left eye and focused on her other eye. She scowled as she watched him glance at the bird while it flew by. There was a big explosion and the energy from it reached back to where Rei and the others were. Her bird was barely able to avoid it, but at least she could still watch what was going on with her teammate and the snake bastard.

As her line of vision cleared she could see that Naruto now had four tails and was completely covered by the red chakra. She frowned and a worried look was on her face as she watched Orochimaru summon his Triple Rashomon to block Naruto's attack. The fight went on for a while and Rei could hear Kabuto's taunts behind her. She glared at him and saw Sakura crying while Naruto stood only a small distance ahead.

Rei couldn't take it anymore. She clenched her fists and turned to face the other side of the bridge, where Orochimaru was. She ran towards it while making some hand signs and summoned a larger bird to take her over the gap. She could hear Yamato telling her to stop, but she couldn't just let Orochimaru get away and she had to find out what Sai was up to. She couldn't wait to get her hands on the snake bastard and possibly Sasuke.

**End Chapter 66**

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**Well, I hope you guys liked it even though I am once again, bot satisfied with the length or chapter as a whole, but there will be action in the next chapter...maybe. I'm so demanding of myself XD. Anyways, I kinda hurt my wrist a while ago and so the update was delayed, but hey, I got it done so please review. Until next time.**


	67. Chapter 67

**Hello people! I'm back after God knows how long. Sorry for the _really _late update, but I've been extremely busy with school. Anyways, Thanks to Gravenimage, ruler of dragons, Lady Shinkukaze, and Tateno Atsukino for reading and reviewing. Please review if you have the time and please look at my other stories here or in Fictionpress. If you want more info on my original works just ask or check out my profile. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the lovely Rei, her lazy teacher Jin and any other original characters.**

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**Chapter Sixty-Seven**

Rei could see Yamto's clone beneath her. She was close to where Orochimaru had fought Naruto and so she dismissed her summoned bird and hurried to the edge of the treeline where she could see Orochimaru with an envelope in his hands and Sai being held down by Kabuto. She clenched her fists at the sight of the snake bastard and struggled to keep from just charging at him.

_'I have to find out where his hideout is, it's the only way to get to Sasuke.' _She thought, trying to calm herself.

Unfortunately, Orochimaru could sense her as her chakra control slipped due to her distracted state. The man smirked and turned to where the girl was hiding. Rei froze as his gaze fixed on her, the all too familiar feeling of being cornered by him spread through her body. She hated it, the feeling of weakness and helplessness. It made her wonder what she had been doing all this time.

_'I can't think like that, I'm stronger now, I know I am!' _

"Well, if it isn't my old apprentice again. You never were very good as far as stealth was concerned." He said mockingly.

"Why don't you come out and join us."

The girl scowled, but knew she had no other choice. She pushed back her fears and stepped forward, glaring fiercely at Orochimaru while Sai watched with Kabuto still holding him down. Orochimaru just smirked at the girl as she approached him and stopped a safe distance from him.

"So, you're after Sasuke too aren't you?"

"That's right, but I'm not just after Sasuke." She said, taking out a kunai.

The grin on Orochimaru's face widened.

"Then let's see how much you've grown."

Rei didn't wait any longer as she charged at the snake. Orochimaru seemed amused as he easily dodged the girl's attacks, but still, Rei kept fighting. She made a series of hand signs as she jumped back.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

The attack was easily avoided by Orochimaru who just laughed at the girl, rushing over to her and kicking her, sending her back. Rei regained her composure and dodged another attack. She dodged and blocked, irritated at not being able to find an opening, but still tried to keep a clear mind, however hard it was. As soon as she was able to, she slid back a safe distance from Orochimaru and made more handsigns while stepping back as the snake tried to hit her.

"Wind Style: Wind Serpent!"

A snake formed out of wind and rushed at Orochimaru who was hit full on. He was sent back several feet and was heavily injured, or so Rei thought. Quiet chuckling could be heard behind her and by the time she turned around, she was already caught in Orochimaru's jutsu, snakes holding her down as they curled around her.

"You're still as weak as the last time I saw you. Nothing but cheap tricks and old moves. You still refuse to use what you learned with me." Orochimaru sneered.

Rei scowled and felt the snake's hold on her tighten painfully. In a moment, Orochimaru raised the pressure on the girl's body, but it was only a moment before a cloud of smoke took her place. He jumped away from where he had been standing as the ground rose and slammed back down, almost cruching him. It followed him as he moved away until he felt something coil around him. The Sannin couldn't help but smirk at the sight of the snakes around his body, glaring at him as though they were the girl himself.

"Playing with the same tricks will get boring." He pointed out.

"I thought that was what you wanted, to see me using the same dirty tricks as you." Rei shot back.

The snakes could be seen coming out of her arm. She hated using what he had taught her, but she would have to use those techniques if she wanted to beat Orochimaru. Unfortunately, the man had been expecting something like that from Rei and so it was actually a clone that Rei was holding. The girl sensed him behind her and moved out of the way, although she was too slow and received a large cut on her arm from the sword of Kusanagi. Another cut was ealt on her side, even as she jumped back to avoid it. That was followed by a strong series of kicks and punches were dealt to her before she could regain her balance and she was send back and to the ground. The wounds from the sword seemed to burn her arm and side and the pain from the last attack kept her on the ground.

Orochimaru's chuckling could be heard and she looked up at the smirking Sannin. He looked at her mockingly as she lay on the ground. He stepped on her wound and chuckled as she cried out in pain.

"You're so weak. I doubt you would be a match for Sasuke in your state."

Just hearing him say that made her want to stand up and kill him, but she couldn't. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right, she was too weak.

"Sasuke will never go back, he's been too corrupted by his quest for revenge. He's become too strong for you to beat."

"You're wrong! I can beat him, I know I can!" She cried out.

Orochimaru just laughed at his old student.

"As always, you don't know your limits, but I'll let you live, if only to let you see how weak you truly are."

Rei scowled up at him and felt all of her anger and hatred spill out of her in waves of murderous intent. Orochimaru gave her one last evil smirk before turning back to Kabuto and ordering him to let Sai go.

"We'll be taking him with us." He said.

Rei could do nothing as she watched them go. All of her frustration grew inside of her and she could feel hot tears forming in her eyes.

_'Why am I so weak?! What have I been doing all this time?' _She thought with frustration.

She could feel the tears running down her cheeks as she tried to get up only to fall back. Her wounds throbbed painfully and she cried out in frustration at not being able to do anything.

_'I can never do anything...I can never fight for myself!'_

With her remaining strength, she stood up shakily and managed to take a few steps forward. Her hand was soaked in blood as she held her wounded side and she could feel herself growing weaker. The tears in her eyes blurred her vision and the pain in her chest from the strong feeling of impotence and irritation burned relentlessly. Only a few steps later, her legs gave out and she fell to the ground, wincing in pain and crying out in anger as she lay there.

Footsteps sounded from behind her and she heard her name being called by a familiar voice. Someone approached her and turned her over to look at her wounds. Naruto's worried face greeted her as she looked up.

"Rei-chan! What happened?"

"Naruto, move, I need to look over her wounds." Sakura said.

Rei just lay there as Sakura healed her wounds as best as she could while Naruto and Yamato looked on from the side.

"Where's Sai?" Naruto asked.

"He left...with Orochimaru..." Rei said quietly.

Naruto and Sakura seemed surprised to hear that, but Yamato already knew. Now they only had to find out why he had gone with him.

**End Chapter 67**

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**Well, I hope you guys liked it even though I am once again, not satisfied with the length. I'm so demanding of myself now... XD. Anyways, school has been brutal and so the update was delayed, but hey, I got it done so please review. Until next time.**


	68. Chapter 68

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs. Everything else is a product of Masashi Kishimoto's imagination.  
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**Chapter Sixty-Eight**

They were traveling through the forest now, going as fast as they could. Sasuke was up ahead, they could feel it, but Rei wasn't so sure that they were up for a fight, not in the state they were in. She was badly beaten and tired from her fight with Orochimaru and the others weren't any better off. Even as Sakura tried to hide it, Rei could see that she was in pain from the wound Naruto had dealt her on her arm. Just as she was thinking about this, Sakura's hold on a branch slipped and she fell. Luckily, she was caught by Yamato before she could hit the ground. Rei listened to Sakura lie to Naruto about how she got hurt, but she said nothing. The girl was only doing it out of consideration for her teammate and Rei felt grateful for that.

Yamato decided they should take a break after that, even when Sakura argued that she was fine, everyone could tell she wasn't. He took Naruto off to the side then and Rei was left with Sakura. Her arm didn't look that bad, but she knew the Kyuubi chakra had an effect as well.

"You really should worry more about yourself." Rei commented, glancing down at Sakura.

The girl looked up with a raised brow.

"If you're hurt you shouldn't push yourself so much, it'll only make things worse."

"You're injured too." Sakura pointed out.

Rei looked down at her bloodied shirt on her side and the bandage wrapped around her arm.

"I'm fine, It's not as bad as it looks and you did a good job in healing."

"That's good."

They were quiet after that with Rei looking around and Yamato and Naruto still talking off to the side.

"What is this...?" Came Sakura's voice with a note of unease.

Rei looked over at Sakura and saw that she had a book. For a moment, she wondered where she had seen the book before and then she realized it was the picture book that Sai had. She leaned over to look at the drawings, curious as to what may be in there that Sai was so eager to hide from them. Naruto and Yamato walked over and together, they looked through the book. There was something strange about it, but it was only until Sakura said so that she realized what it was.

"The pages in the center are different from the rest."

"There's something creepy about this." Naruto muttered.

Rei looked down at the pictures on the book and saw that it was opened to the middle. The pictures there were incomplete with one whole page being blank. After some more inspecting, they came to the conclusion that the book was split to make two stories, both on opposite sides of the book, and met in the middle. It was the story of two boys, each beating their enemies and gaining their possessions. Not only that, but the boy with the black hair in the book looked like Sai. After that, Sakura figured out that the other boy was the brother Sai had mentioned.

They were all surprised by this, but before they could put much thought into it, Yamato said that his clone had located the lair. At this, a strange sense of anticipation swept through Rei, knowing that it was likely that they would run into Sasuke. As they ran, she couldn't help but wonder what would happen when they finally met.

In her heart, she knew she still cared for him to some extent, however much she chose to deny it, but she couldn't hide the fact that she also help some amount of anger, if not hatred, towards him. It still hurt to think about the way he had left, even though so much time had passed and she still wondered if maybe she could have done something to keep him in Konoha. Her plan may have been to kill Sasuke, but every time she looked at the hopeful faces of Naruto and Sakura, she couldn't help but think that maybe there was a way to get him to return to the village with them. She was aware that it was only the naive part of her that thought this, but at the moment, she was too tired to push it back like she usually did.

For a moment, she remembered what Jin had told her some time ago, after they returned to Konoha.

_They were sitting outside, enjoying the cool breeze that swept through the village while drinking some tea after a short training session. Rei was thinking of what it meant to be back in Konoha, to be back in the place where everything had begun. She wasn't entirely sure as to what would come next, but she knew she was ready for it. She had to be, it was as simple as that._

_In the meantime, Jin was engrossed in his own thoughts. Ever since he had met his rather unexpected student he had gained a sense of peace and responsibility. Maybe it was because he now had to worry about someone other than himself, or maybe it was her constant company, but he felt that life had become a bit more bearable now that he had someone to distract him from the usual thoughts that haunted him. Because of this, he truly cared for the girl and so there was something that had been bothering him for a while. It was at this time, when he knew she could be gone at any moment, that he chose to voice his question._

_"Hey, you haven't changed your mind have you?" _

_It wasn't necessary for him to even say what he meant by that, they both knew he was talking bout Sasuke. Rei knew it was only when he talked about him that his tone became so serious, almost dreading what she would say. She couldn't help but smile a bit at his worry of her._

_"No, I haven't. Does that bother you?"_

_The man sighed and looked down at the tea in his hands._

_"I suppose it does."_

_"You shouldn't worry."_

_"But I do."_

_They were silent for a moment while both gathered their thoughts._

_"If you go after him, will you really be able to go through with it?" He said, looking at the girl at his side.  
_

_"You're asking if I can kill him?"_

_Jin nodded._

_"Yes, I think so. After all this time training for this, it would be good to know that I can do what I set out to do. Otherwise, it would be three years wasted away, wouldn't it?"_

_Jin frowned slightly._

_"I don't think so. I think these three years have taught you a lot. You've gotten stronger, if not more patient."_

_Rei smiled at the last comment._

_"But you've also learned more about life and what it means to _be_ alive." Jin looked at his student in a meaningful way._

_"In the end, pain is and always will be a part of living. We may not like it and we may come to resent it, but it makes us stronger and teaches us to appreciate the things around us, our friends, our family, our teammates."_

_Rei frowned at the last part._

_"It helps us to become better people, not take things for granted, have compassion and sympathy towards others. Without pain, these things wouldn't exist._

_"What about hatred, vengeance, death. Don't those come from pain as well?" Rei shot back, losing her patience._

_"Yes, they do, but those feelings only create more pain. If you accept things as they are then you'll learn that things are easier in the end." Jin replied calmly, used to his student's outbursts._

_"Are you saying it's fine to let people hurt you, that you should ignore people like Sasuke and Orochimaru because going after them just makes things harder? Or maybe I should just not care that he nearly killed me and Naruto and send him a Christmas card."_

_Jin sighed and shook his head._

_"What I'm saying is; Sasuke made his choice and it's not your responsibility to fix what he's done. You may have been teammates, closer than others, but what you do from now on should be what makes you happy, what you truly want. If you go out to kill him, who's to say it'll make you feel better."_

_"It seems like a sure thing to me." Rei said dully._

_"Sometimes, things aren't what they seem and revenge is a tricky things. Sometimes all it gives you is a feeling of uncertainty when you don't know what to do next, when you realize nothing changed and the wounds of the past hurt just as much as before."_

_"Are you speaking from experience?"_

_"Who knows."_

_The simple response was said calmly, but Rei could see the flicker of something she couldn't describe in his eyes. Some emotion that she couldn't fathom._

Now, she couldn't help but think that maybe, she wouldn't be able to go through with it. And if she did, who's to say it'll help. Perhaps Jin was right, maybe there is nothing to do for Sasuke anymore, maybe she would just have to learn to bear the pain of it and move on. That was certainly what her teacher had done, or at least it seemed like it. She had never fully deciphered what had occurred to him after the death of his teacher.

She stopped thinking about it when they stopped outside of what was supposed to be the lair of Orochimaru. Yamato gave them each a seed to swallow in case they got separated while inside. It would make it easier for them to find each other that way. Apparently, he had planted some in Sai's clothes and food, making him able to track him. They entered in file form, with Rei between Sakura and Naruto, who brought up the rear. Yamato was at the front.

They managed to get in and decided to search for Sai first. The team moved carefully through the dim halls of the place as they followed Yamato. Soon enough, he had led them to the room Sai was staying in. He barely seemed surprised, though Rei supposed he rarely showed any emotions at all. Naruto was quick to accuse him of betraying them, but that was only to be expected from the impatient shinobi.

Sakura uncovered the plan Danzo had formulated and the part Sai played in it only to have him claim his mission had failed when he was found. Knowing there was no way he could beat the team he told them of the other part of his mission and the reason he was chosen. During this time they found out the meaning of the picture book and Rei found herself wondering if maybe she was forgetting something important as well. Ever since Sasuke had left she had felt that there was something missing, something important, but she didn't know what.

Eventually, they left the lair with Sai. Now that he was out of there it was time for their main objective, going after Sasuke.

* * *

**Yes, it's short, super late and not much happens, but I've had a hard time with writing. As a freelance artist and student working on a couple of original stories it's rather hard to update. Still, I'll probably get another chapter up this week, maybe two if time allows. I hope you enjoy this and please review. Also, if you want to read some of my original stories check my profile for a link to my fictionpress page. Until next time.  
**


	69. Chapter 69

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs. Everything else is a product of Masashi Kishimoto's imagination.  
**

* * *

**Chapter Sixty-Nine**

The three shinobi watched in surprise as Sai held Kabuto back.

They had been about to head back into the lair for Sasuke when Kabuto showed up. Apparently, he still trusted Sai, seeing as how he had not gone with them on his own accord. It was this that made it possible for Sai to get a hold of him before he could attack. Rei had to wonder what he was thinking, changing his mind like this. Could he just be trying to trick them?

"Bonds...I want to see what they're really made of."

At those words, Rei knew he wasn't lying. As blank as his face usually was, she could see that he was being sincere. In the end, they were able to subdue Kabuto and question him about where Sasuke was. Without hesitation, he told them, also warning them of the possibility that they could run into Orochimaru since his chamber was close to Sasuke's. Not that they would be deterred by that information. They already knew the risks they were taking by going after Sasuke and running into Orochimaru had always been likely.

Soon enough, they were back inside the lair, looking for Sasuke in two groups. Rei tried to keep her expression neutral, but inside she was full of anxiety and uncertainty. She didn't know what she would find or how she would react to Sasuke if they actually found him. Though she supposed the most likely outcome would be for her to act recklessly. Honestly, she never had been very good at controlling her emotions, even with all the training Jin gave her to help with that very problem.

She ran alongside Yamato and Sakura, ignoring the feelings of dread that were gathering inside her. So far they hadn't found anything pointing to Sasuke in any of the rooms they checked. Suddenly, Yamato stopped with a look of panic on his face.

"Naruto's chakra. Something's up, let's go."

"Right!" Sakura said while Rei merely nodded.

As they took off again she could feel Naruto's chakra, but also someone else. She frowned as she realized it was Orochimaru. It wouldn't be good for Naruto to fight him, even if Sai was with him. They had to get to them as soon as they could. Fortunately, when they arrived at where Naruto and Orochimaru were, nothing major had happened. Soon after they arrived, Orochimaru left, saying he would rather deal with Sai. Now they had to find Sai before the snake got to him. However, before they could leave, Yamato found a bingo book in Sai's things. To their surprise, Sasuke was in there, meaning Sai's true mission was to kill Sasuke.

Rei didn't know what to think. Should she be upset at Sai for hiding this and daring to go after Sasuke when they were trying to take him back to Konoha? Or should she feel glad that he was doing her dirty work for her? As much as she hated Sasuke at the moment, she wasn't entirely sure as to how she felt about him being killed by someone else.

_'I can't let Sai kill him, I promised Naruto I'd help him get Sasuke, at least for now.'_ She thought, making up her mind.

Naruto wasted no time, making multiple clones and looking all over the lair for Sai and Sasuke. Rei hurried along with everyone else, running to find them before it was too late. Suddenly, there was a large blast that made them stop.

"It's Sai's chakra." She heard Yamato say.

It was true, she could feel his chakra, but she didn't think he was the one responsible for that blast. Which only left one other option.

"Let's go." She said before hurrying off.

She could hear the others following and soon she was running alongside her team. They stopped for a moment as they turned into a hallway from which they could see Sai standing out in the open. Rubble was strewn around him. Sakura didn't stop, she ran at Sai and they saw her wrap a gloved hand around his throat. After a moment, she froze and looked up. Naruto took off and Rei followed after him.

She could feel the residual chakra from the short fight that had just occurred. There was still a bit of dust that had been stirred, but none of that seemed to matter as she looked up and realized who it was that she was staring at.

"Sasuke..." She heard Naruto say softly next to her.

"And now Naruto..." Sasuke said and Rei felt a pang of pain somewhere in her chest at the sound of his voice.

He turned his dark gaze towards her and she felt her fists clench and her heart speed up.

"And Rei too. Does that mean Kakashi's here as well?"

There was no emotion in either his voice or his face and Rei felt a chill run down her back at what he had turned into. Had she too been like that after being with Orochimaru for so long? She was vaguely aware of Yamato stepping forward and speaking with Sasuke, but she couldn't focus too much on what was being said at the moment. There were too many emotions swelling inside of her. Anger, frustration, disbelief, sadness, longing, and it was the last one that surprised her the most.

At that moment, nothing around her seemed to matter, not her teammates, not her captain, nothing but Sasuke. She could only stare at him and wonder why things had turned out that way. Even with all the training she had gone through, she felt weak. Just remembering everything that had happened, all her attempts to convince him to stay, the battle - perhaps the most important one of her life - that she lost. And then she thought of Sasuke himself, who now stood there with a look of disdain and couldn't help but wonder what he had done all this time.

_'Just how strong have you become?' _she wondered.

_'Have you gone so far that I can't reach you...?'_

"I have other bonds that I carry," said Sasuke after something Sai had said.

His voice seemed to snap Rei out of her thoughts and she felt her hands curl into fists, trying to hold back the anger she felt.

"Fraternal bonds forged from hate...All my other bonds forced me to lose focus..."

Was that it? That was all Rei could wonder. Was that really all that their friendship had been, all he had seen in the bonds he had with his team was nothing but a burden, a weight that held him back. Thinking that just made it all the more painful.

"Why didn't you kill me back then! Is that what you call severing bonds Sasuke!"

Naruto had finally had enough. Rei knew he was close to his limit, knew he wouldn't be able to hold down his feelings for much longer, and she was glad. She didn't want to be the one to break down, they couldn't afford that, not when Sakura was already in shock and Naruto was close to the edge. For her team, the part that was left and the two people she would always treasure, she had to be strong.

Still, the reason for leaving Naruto alive was something she hadn't expected.

"I chose to spare your life at nothing more than a whim of mine."

That was Sasuke's answer, cold as steel and cutting through them with more ease than was thought possible for any sword. And then, he was gone, at least from his perch above them. His movements were so quick, so sudden, so silent and yet so very like him that no one registered it until he was close enough to Naruto to kill him, and she knew he could have. Was this just another whim? She wouldn't put it past him.

He spoke to Naruto, words that mocked him and his dreams and must have hurt the blond. No one moved though, no one knew what to do or how safe it would be to react. Slowly, Sasuke drew out his sword and Rei saw her own eyes reflected in them for a moment, wide and scared, but of what? Did she fear for her teammate? Or was it something else.

Before she had much time to think on it, Sasuke moved, and everyone followed. There was a flurry of actions, all quick and calculated, even in that moment of panic, almost like orchestrated chaos. The blade in Sasuke's hand moved to plunge into Naruto, but was stopped by Sai who stepped in and caught the Uchiha's wrist. Naruto flipped back, grabbing Sasuke's arm firmly while Rei and Yamato made quick hand signs, readying to restrain him. Sasuke was not to be stopped so easily though.

Unexpectedly, he used a new attack that struck everyone. It was an electrical discharge that made the air crackle and their skin burn, sharp pain hitting them like hot needles that sunk deep into their bodies, penetrating down to their very bones. It was quick, but effective. Chidori Discharge, he called it.

Naruto and Sai were thrown back, having been closest to Sasuke, but even Rei and Yamato felt it and only their training and high tolerance to pain, the product of years as ninja, kept them standing. Sakura was the next to act, rushing at Sasuke head on, something that was both foolish and admirable. She was determined to help this time and she had gathered all her courage for this attack. Rei knew it wasn't easy for her to even think of striking the one person she had always admired, maybe even loved.

Sasuke was not the same as before, however. He would not tolerate any weak willed attempts they threw at him. His sword was held firmly in his hand, ready to strike and covered in an electrical discharge. Yamato moved to save Sakura, his kunai out and ready to block, but it proved to be useless as it was sliced easily before the sword sunk into his shoulder, pinning him to a rock.

"This sword of Kusanagi is special," Sasuke said calmly.

"It cannot be blocked."

And Rei remembered hearing that from someone else, someone she hated and blamed for the loss of everyone she cared for.

There was a moment in which Sasuke and Naruto stared at each other and Rei knew something happened, though she couldn't be sure of what it was. She didn't care though, it was enough as she took out a kunai and rushed at Sasuke. She didn't intend to kill him, knowing a head on attack wouldn't work, but getting him to release Yamato would be enough for now. As she expected, his attention turned to her and for a moment she thought she saw _something_ in his eyes. Then, Yamato managed to push the blade out, surprising Sasuke who backed away.

A dome of wood rose over him, but Rei didn't expect him to be trapped by it, she ran over it and jumped just as he emerged, breaking out of the top. He seemed surprised for a moment and maybe it was because of the rage that she showed. She tried to slash him, but he grabbed her wrist, which only made her twist, managing to free herself. She blocked a hit and ducked as his sword almost hit her, but he kicked her away and sent her crashing down to the ground.

Naruto was screaming, but she couldn't hear it, she was still injured from her fight with Orochimaru and she struggled to get to her feet. What she did hear though, was Sasuke renouncing his body and soul to Orochimaru if only that would help him get his revenge.

"Do you really think so then? That he will actually help you kill Itachi?"

Everyone looked at Rei. It was the first time she had said anything and it was hard enough for her.

"Are you really ready to renounce everything, to leave everyone because of your stupid revenge!" she screamed out, finally showing her frustration.

"A long time ago, you told me you would help me if I asked it of you. You said you would follow me. Tell me, would you follow me now?"

Rei stared at him and remembered that time he had told her who he wanted to kill. The time they stood on top of the monument to the Hokages and stared down at their village. A time that seemed so very long ago.

"A long time ago you wouldn't have asked it of me, not this?" she said quietly.

Sasuke said nothing.

"That's enough talk," said Yamato.

"With you here, I had hoped not to have to resort to my cruder methods, but unfortunately it's time to get serious."

Yamato was going to end things, they could tell, but not before Sasuke. The Uchiha made a hand sign before extending his arm, ready to attack, and then Orochimaru appeared and stopped him.

"Now, now, there's no need to use _that_ jutsu now, Sasuke-kun."

Orochimaru's very voice sickened Rei. She felt rage like never before spread through her and before she knew it she was running forward, ignoring the calls behind her telling her to stop. She dodged Yamato's restraints and jumped to where Sasuke was, speeding up before she reached him, just enough so that she was able to get in front of him and kick him, but he blocked, though it was not as fast as he would have liked. He slid back and she flipped over him while making quick hand signs. Snakes shot out from her arm, a technique she hated, but one she needed at the moment. Orochimaru wouldn't let her harm his future container though and before she knew it, he was reaching for her, a promise of death in his pale arm that was about to grasp her, ready to break her neck, but Sasuke struck faster.

He rushed forward, a snake twisting around his arm, but he fought against it and kicked Rei back at the same time he swung his sword, severing the snakes. In an instant, he was before her even as she slid back, somehow still on her feet and their eyes locked for a second before his sword sunk into her. Pain exploded at her side, but only for a moment as it soon dulled, the charge from his sword numbing the area of her wound. She felt the blade being drawn back and then fell to the ground, exhausted and unable to move. Knowing, more than feeling, that blood poured out of her wounds. Sasuke stood before her.

"If you hate me, kill me, but before you try to, grow stronger."

She wouldn't forget those words, even as she watched him fade away they reverberated in her mind. She wouldn't forget, even as she lost consciousness.

**End Chapter Sixty-Nine**

* * *

**Well, there you have it, a new chapter and I had to watch _all_ of Naruto to get my inspiration back. I have been busy though and I just got over a cold. I hate colds. With a passion.**

**Anywho, thank you very much for your reviews, they mean a lot to me so please review if you have the time. You're also more than welcome to check out my original stories in fictionpress. Until next time!**


	70. Chapter 70

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs. Everything else is a product of Masashi Kishimoto's imagination.  
**

* * *

**Chapter Seventy**

Wind swept through her hair and she knew they were moving.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking back and glad that the trees shielded them from most of the light. They were running through the forest, hopping from branch to branch and she could tell from the spiky blond hair before her that Naruto was the one carrying her. It took a moment for her to remember what had happened, but the pain that shot through her helped.

Rei remembered Sasuke, the way he had looked at her and her teammates. Everything he had said, rejecting the bonds that they had once had between them. She could recall how he fought them, attacking without restraint and aiming to kill, it seemed. Most of all, she remembered what he had told her. His words seemed to mock her, calling her weak and daring her to try to reach him. Her arms tightened slightly around Naruto's neck, alerting him of her condition. Naruto turned his head slightly to look at the girl.

"Rei-chan! You're awake!" Naruto said with a smile.

She didn't say anything, instead letting her head rest on his shoulder. Even at a time like this, even after she had failed her teammates, he smiled at her. Rei could still see he was in pain, she had known him for long enough and it hurt.

Naruto felt her shaking and stopped, looking at her in concern. Everyone else stopped and looked back, wondering what was happening.

"I'm sorry," said Rei.

"I-I was too weak...I couldn't..."

She was crying now, Naruto could tell even if he couldn't hear it. He looked at her sadly, knowing how she felt. Both him and Sakura had felt the same way. Both of them had failed as well.

"Hey, hey! It wasn't your fault, Rei-chan!" Naruto said in a happy voice.

"Besides, we still have time, we'll just try again!"

Rei didn't say anything. She knew Naruto was trying to make her feel better, that maybe the same things had been said to him while she was unconscious, and she was grateful. Still, it was clear after what happened that it would be harder to get Sasuke back than they had first thought and it worried her. The thought that she was weak, that she couldn't do anything ate at her and she couldn't bring herself to agree with Naruto, she couldn't even say anything as she cried silently, tears of pain and frustration. It was a bitter lesson, the one they had learned.

Sakura was next to them in an instant, talking with Naruto and asking what had happened. Rei didn't say anything, the wound Sasuke had given her hurt again, no longer numb and she felt tired, more tired than she had in a while. After a moment, she was asleep again, though not as peacefully as she would have liked.

* * *

Her skin felt warm, but not uncomfortably so. It was a kind of reassuring warmth that felt so familiar she couldn't help but be at ease. Faintly, she was aware of voices around her.

"...waking up," one said, a man's voice.

"Yeah, yeah, look!"

"Naruto! Be quiet, this is a hospital!"

_'Ah, so then if the other was Naruto that must be Sakura chastising him,'_ Rei reasoned.

Her eyes opened slowly, trying to grow used to the bright room. Just from the white ceiling she could tell that it was a hospital room, which meant they were back in Konoha. Suddenly, an all too familiar and cheerful face appeared within her line of vision. Naruto's bright blue eyes looked down at her in both concern and relief.

"Rei-chan, you're finally awake! How do you fe-"

And then he was gone, pushed to the side by a rather easily distinguishably fist. Sakura stepped in to take his place.

"How do you feel? Your wounds were pretty bad, but they were healing well."

Trying not to flinch, Rei sat up. She moved slowly, careful not to worsen her injuries. Sakura helped her and soon she was resting against soft pillows before the four people visiting her.

Apart from Naruto and Sakura, there was Sai, standing to the side and looking somewhat uncomfortable. Rei didn't blame him, not since he was new to their team and had not started off on Rei's good side.

Jin was also there, sitting next to her bed and with a tired look on his face. He smiled at her in a way that told him he had been worried. It was a smile that showed just how much relief he felt at seeing her awake.

"Hey brat, about time you woke up," he said.

"Have I been out for long?"

"You were unconscious all the way back to Konoha," Sakura said as she checked on her wounds.

It was at times like these that Rei remembered just how good a medic she was.

"Have we been here for long?"

"No, we got back yesterday. We've already reported to the Hokage."

Honestly, Rei had forgotten all about reporting to the Hokage. She was glad she hadn't had to stand before Tsunade and tell her how badly she had done.

"How do you feel Rei-chan?"

Naruto was back up and next to the bed. Rei smiled at the other blond, an effort she would only make for her team and the few others who were close to her.

"I'm fine, just tired I guess."

Naruto nodded and she noticed something different about his expression. Perhaps her smile hadn't been as convincing as she had thought. Then again, it was Naruto, one of the few people that could understand how she felt at the moment, mainly because he felt the same way. He too had trained for the last few years, pushing himself to his limits in order to get Sasuke back to Konoha and he too had failed to do so. Even so, back in the forest, he had tried to comfort her, pushing aside his own pain to smile and tell her it was okay, that it wasn't her fault.

"Naruto-kun,"

He looked back at her as she smiled as best as she could.

"We'll get him next time."

At this, Naruto smiled and nodded with determination. She didn't have to tell him who, they all knew and they all had made the same resolution.

"We'll just have to train more," she added.

"And this time I'll help you as well."

Rei looked over at Sai, a bit surprised that he would offer to help them, but a lot had changed during the mission. She nodded at him, her smile still in place.

"Yeah, that's right."

They stayed for a while, talking and keeping Rei company. It was good to listen to Naruto and Sakura argue like usual. Strangely, it served to lighten the mood and it made Rei relax a bit, even if she couldn't completely forget about what had happened. Jin sat back and watched everyone with a calm smile, not talking too much, just like Sai. Really, the new member of team Kakashi seemed a bit uncomfortable, almost like he felt out of place, but Rei trusted that he would get more comfortable in time, especially with Naruto around.

"We should probably leave so Rei can get some rest," Sakura said after a while.

Naruto wanted to protest, but seemed to think better of it and just smiled.

"Yeah, I guess that's true. Hey, we can go visit Kakashi-sensei now."

"Oh, is he still in the hospital?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, he's fine, but he needs some rest. His chakra was exhausted," explained Sakura.

"Is that so? Well, tell him I said hi when you see him since I'm pretty sure they won't let me leave this place."

Naruto grinned, knowing how much Rei hated the hospital while Sakura nodded.

"Of course not, you need to rest too. You used up too much chakra and your injuries were pretty bad too."

"I feel fine though," Rei muttered.

Sakura ignored her, just like Rei thought the med-nin would.

"Bye Rei-chan we'll come back soon," said Naruto.

"Don't strain yourself and make sure to rest," Sakura reminded her.

"I hope you get better soon," Sai told her before they all left.

The door closed behind then, making only a soft sound. Only Rei and Jin were left, and she could practically _feel_ him thinking of whatever it was he wanted to tell her. Most likely, he was going to tell her off for being so reckless.

"You saw him, then?" was the first thing he said.

Rei didn't look at him, she didn't even speak, just nodded. She heard him sigh and from the corner of her eye, saw him lean back in his chair.

"And you couldn't kill him."

He didn't even bother to make it a question, something that irritated Rei. She knew what he meant, that she didn't just fail in strength, but also in resolve, something she resented.

"It wasn't because I didn't want to," she said.

"You know I said I would give the others a chance to bring him back, that I would help them."

"But you couldn't even bring him back. Tell me, would you honestly have been able to kill him?"

Rei glared at him, trying to stay calm. Jin just sighed once more and shook his head.

"Sasuke won't come back, no matter how hard you try, you should know that."

Frustration and maybe a bit of anger at her mentor was all Rei felt at the moment. She gripped her sheets tightly, trying not to think about how right Jin was. She had seen it in Sasuke's eyes, the same kind of determination Naruto had in getting back his old friend, only Sasuke felt determined to kill Itachi, no matter what. It was his desire for revenge that drove him on, that pushed him to give up anything, even his body, as long as he was able to defeat the man that had taken away his family.

"I don't care, Naruto thinks he will and I have to help him, no matter what, I have to try."

"Don't lie to yourself," snapped Jin.

"You know as well as I do that the only reason you're so fixated on this is because _you_ want to beat Sasuke. _You_ are the one who wants to go after him, maybe even more than Naruto."

"That's not true!"

"It is! all this time I've spent with you I've seen it. You put everything into getting stronger, you trained until you were exhausted and even now you're thinking of what you can do to get stronger all for what?"

"For my teammates! They're all I have, they're my family and I can't let them down..."

Jin looked at his student with a saddened look.

"No, you do this because you want to. Your reasons for going after Sasuke are the same as his reasons for going after his brother."

Rei looked up at him, wanting to argue, but he shook his head.

"You're both going after the person who hurt you the most, the person that you loved so much you would have never thought you would hate as you do now. Both of you are focused on vengeance, you're looking for retribution for what Sasuke did to you, but you can't see that what he did is nothing compared to what you're doing to yourself."

There was a pleading tone in his voice now, as if asking her to reconsider, to forget about Sasuke, but she couldn't.

"Stop blaming yourself for everything and stop going after him like this. It's not too late for you to fix things, but if you keep this up-"

"What? I'll become like Sasuke? Is that what you think?"

Jin didn't answer, it was clear what he was going to say.

"I won't, I'm not like him. I wouldn't leave everyone, I wouldn't!"

"But you'll push everyone away! Just let the others help you, you don't have to do everything on your own and you don't have to blame yourself for what he did."

Rei stopped and stared at Jin.

"It's not your fault that he left and it's not your fault that he's still gone," he told her.

"It is," she said quietly.

"I was too weak to do anything, even when Naruto and Sakura were there, I couldn't do anything."

"It's not your fault, it was never your responsibility to bring him back or kill him. I'm sure your teammates feel the same way, they would never blame you for what happened."

"But I was the one who should have stopped him. Back then...back then, I should have stopped him, I should have gone after him or tried harder. If I hadn't held back in the beginning..."

Jin knew she was talking about the fight at the Valley of End. A long time ago, back when he was training her, she had told him about it, she had told him everything about Sasuke and even though she hadn't said it, he knew she had been blaming herself since then. He didn't say anything as she sat there, staring down and trying not to break down, because he knew she was trying. He just stood and sat next to her, not letting her protest as he wrapped his arms around her in a rare show of affection.

"It wasn't your fault you stupid kid."

Rei sat there, shocked at this. Jin rarely hugged her, preferring instead to show his affection through brutal training methods. Slowly, she relaxed in his arms, glad to have him there and realizing for the first time how very much she needed him. She didn't say anything, instead hugging him back, she didn't even realize she was crying until she felt the tears sliding down her cheeks. Jin held her for a while, not saying anything, understanding that she needed this and that it was one of the few things he could do for her.

He left late and only because the nurses kicked him out, saying Rei needed to rest. Rei didn't want to tell them she needed her teacher, but he understood.

"I'll come back tomorrow morning, now get some rest," Jin told her, patting her head like he did when she was younger.

She gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Jin-nii, thank you."

The man blinked in surprise, but grinned a moment later.

"Stupid brat, like I did anything. Just hurry up and get better! You know that house of yours is creepy when no one's there."

Rei laughed lightly and he left. It was a long night after that. She couldn't sleep too easily, not when Sasuke's words kept swimming around in her head.

_'If you hate me, kill me, but before you try to, grow stronger.'_

She wondered if that was how Sasuke felt after Itachi had killed his family. Had he too been haunted by his face, by his voice mocking him and telling him how weak he was. She sighed. Of course he had been, that was why he had left, but she couldn't, not when she had Jin and her teammates. She wouldn't go down the same path as Sasuke. Those were her last thoughts before she fell asleep.

**End Chapter Seventy**

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**HA! Another chapter! I finally got off my butt and wrote something. I'm so proud of myself. *weeps from happiness* ahem...yeah, anyways, please review if you have the chance, that always helps, actually, I had to read my reviews to get inspired to write. So yeah, thatnks to everyone who reviews/alerts/favorites me and my stories. Until next time!  
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	71. Chapter 71

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs. Everything else is a product of Masashi Kishimoto's imagination.  
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**Chapter Seventy-One**

Jin hadn't been able to stay for long the following day, he had said he had something to do. Rei didn't know what that could possibly be, considering he knew no one in the village, but she didn't bother to ask. The man honestly wanted to stay for longer, she could tell, so she knew it had to be something important.

She had resigned herself to spending the day on her own, stuck in a hospital bed, not very appealing, but she had no choice. Rei just wished she had a book or _something _to entertain herself, but no, the most entertaining thing was the stain on the wall that somehow looked like Tonton...if you squinted.

It was around noon when the door to her room opened and someone she definitely hadn't expected walked in.

"Hello, Rei-san. How are you feeling today?" Sai said, smiling as he walked in.

Rei blinked in surprise, wondering if she had fallen asleep or maybe the nurses had drugged her, but no. Sai really was there. She decided the best thing to do in this situation was to act civil. After all, Sai had not been rude to her in a while.

"I'm fine, just bored," she told him.

"So what brings you here?"

"I just thought you might need some company. I read in a book that when a friend is injured it is always a good idea to stop by and visit. Comforting a person is a good way to establish a lasting friendship."

Rei felt her eye twitch.

"What the hell kind of books have you been reading?" she deadpanned.

Sai's cheeks flushed a bit and Rei realized she was being rude. She really couldn't help it this time though. Where had he even gotten that kind of information? But she had to give him credit for at least trying to be a good person.

"Never mind," she sighed.

"I'm just in a bit of a foul mood. It gets to be really boring here, so thanks for visiting."

Sai's face brightened, at least she thought it did. It was hard to tell when he kept that strange smile on his face constantly, though it wasn't nearly as fake as before. If she looked really carefully, it almost seemed sincere.

"That's alright, it's just good to see you're feeling better."

Rei sat up, careful to not move too quickly, and was surprised to feel Sai helping her. She didn't push him away though, she needed the help.

"Naruto-kun sends his regards," said Sai.

"I ran into him on my way here. He said he would have come, but he had training to do."

Rei smiled a bit at that.

"That's just like Naruto, already working on getting stronger," she sighed, looking out the window.

"I just wish I could help him..."

Sai watched her for a moment before speaking.

"Are you still upset about not having been able to bring Sasuke back?"

Rei froze, surprised by the sudden question. She looked at Sai who only stared back, waiting patiently for her answer. With a sigh, she nodded.

"I trained for a long time, you know. To think that even after that I wasn't able to do anything..."

"That's because you're too kind."

That had definitely surprised Rei. She turned to look at Sai incredulously.

"Even after all Sasuke did you can't hurt him, at least you don't want to, even if you force yourself so you wouldn't be as strong as you could be if you fought someone else, someone you really hated. You're just not used to fighting with people that were close to you. You, like Naruto and Sakura, are too emotional."

Rei could see his point. He knew what he was talking about because he had given up his emotions in order to become strong, something she hadn't done. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She was far too emotional, just like Jin had always told her.

"That's not a bad thing," Sai continued.

"Having emotions isn't bad. For me, it's very hard to be with people and I don't know how to act with others or what friends should do. You have Naruto and Sakura and everyone else because you never gave up your own feelings."

She could hear a faint note of melancholy in his voice as he spoke and it was the first time she was truly able to see how lonely he must have been all this time. He had become strong, but at the cost of friendship and bonds like the ones she had. It was really a price too high to pay.

"Maybe those feelings will make you stronger like Naruto."

Rei smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, maybe, but I still have a long way to go before I catch up to him and Sasuke. I guess I'll just have to work harder."

Sai smiled and it seemed more sincere than ever to Rei.

"Sai," she said.

"I think you can do better too, maybe not now, but soon. I'm sure if you work as hard as you do now you'll find your own bonds that you can treasure, like the ones Naruto has with everyone else."

She smiled and missed the faint blush on his face as he stared at her with surprise.

"In the meantime, though, try not to put too much thought into what the books say."

The young shinobi just blinked in surprise.

"Just do what you think is right, you don't need to rely on books to have friends. You're already a good person, just act however you see fit."

Sai nodded with a small smile.

"I guess I can try that."

He stood then, ready to leave.

"Aw, leaving already?" Rei complained.

"Yes, I'm sorry, but I have some things to do today."

"It's fine, hopefully I'll be out of here soon. Say hi to the others for me."

Sai nodded and walked to the door, but stopped after opening it. He turned back and smiled at Rei.

"Rei-san, I heard from Naruto-kun that you like ramen, perhaps we could get some when you get out."

For a moment, Rei was surprised by Sai's offer, but then she grinned at him.

"Sure, just don't forget."

With one last smile, he was gone and Rei was left alone to wonder about what had just happened. Never before had she thought that she would get along with Sai or even sympathize with him, but the truth was, he wasn't such a bad guy. Really, he was just lonely, she could tell that much, but she knew that would change with time. He was part of her team now and none of her teammates would let him be alone again. They might have failed once with Sasuke, but they learned from their mistakes.

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The room was dark and silent, seeming to be empty even, but it wasn't. There was someone lying on the bed, one of the few pieces of furniture there, apparently sleeping.

Sasuke was in yet another one of Orochimaru's lairs, thinking about his last encounter with his old team. He had always known they would meet again, but even so, he hadn't been ready. They had all affected him in some way, even Sakura, but it was the other girl who had the biggest impact.

Even after all these years, Sasuke would not admit how strong his feelings for the girl were, but it was hard to deny that he felt something. He had felt his heart beat faster and his mind race as he saw her, but he had kept his voice and appearance calm, impassive, even cold. She had changed in the last few years, though not greatly. It wasn't hard to recognize the hyperactive young girl that had enjoyed annoying him so much and it wasn't hard to miss her, but he had pushed those feelings aside. She was different now.

He had seen it when he looked at her and confirmed it as their eyes locked for an instant as she attacked him. In those familiar blue eyes were years of pain, anger, maybe even hatred and he wouldn't blame her if she hated him. But it didn't matter, he couldn't bring himself to care, not now. She was part of his past, a past that he couldn't return to no matter what.

Maybe after he killed Itachi, he would go back to her and tell her he was sorry. Maybe he would even let her kill him, if that was what she wanted, but not before he had avenged his clan. All this time she had known who he was, what he was meant to be. He may regret having been involved with her, but he wouldn't change his mind. His purpose was to kill his brother, even if he lost everything else, it didn't matter.

Still, he couldn't forget the way her blood felt as it stained his hand, warm and sickening as it poured from the wound inflicted by his sword. Her face, twisted in pain, physical and emotional, and her eyes, both disbelieving and accusing. For a moment, he was taken back to that day in the valley, the day he had left and he hated it. He hated the way she made him feel by just looking at him. It was like she was silently reminding him of every sin he had committed and every person he had hurt, and perhaps she was, but he wouldn't let it get to him, he couldn't.

But Sasuke knew better. Already he was hoping he hadn't hurt her too badly, that her teammates had been able to help her. But it wouldn't do him any good to think like that. There was nothing he could do for her, nothing but let her hate him.

**End chapter Seventy-One**

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**Well there you have it. It's short, but I wanted to get something out. Anywho, hope you guys like it and please review if you have the chance. I love reviews, they don't love me apparently since they insist on hiding, but gosh darn it I love them!Thanks to everyone who reviews, alerts and/or favorites me and my stories.  
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**Also, if you guys could, please check out bittersweetXromantic, who is running a Naruto Awards site for Naruto fanfics.A link is provided below, just take out the spaces.**

**http : /www . fanfiction . net / myforums / bittersweetXromantic / 2053917 /**


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